EU's DG MARE: European Aquaculture Campaign Will Help Demystify İndustry, Offer it a Level Playing Field

A new E.U.-wide marketing campaign, "EU aquaculture: We work for you with passion," has the potential to both demystify fish farming in the bloc and give the sector a more positive perception among the region’s consumers, according to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).

The campaign, in part, responds to a recent Eurobarometer survey which found that Europeans are not consuming recommended quantities of seafood, with just one-third of the E.U. population now eating fish once a week.

The same analysis also determined that only 8 percent of Europeans currently favor fish from aquaculture, while 36 percent of its respondents state a preference for wild-caught; 31 percent expressed indifference. A further finding was that 78 percent have noticed an increase in seafood prices, with 49 percent tending to switch to other meats or proteins when prices increase.

Speaking at the campaign’s unveiling on 25 March, DG MARE Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy Delilah Al Khudhairy said the campaign aims to show the vital role aquaculture plays in Europeans’ daily lives and in the future of the region, particularly in the context of food security.

Though Al Khudhairy said there’s a “running thread of optimism and passion” coursing through the industry, she explained the industry faces many challenges to scaling production...