Designation of A.Z.A. of the Western Coast of Etoloakarnania & the Echinades Islets

Feb 14, 2023

A total of 15,263.67 acres of the western coast of Etoloakarnania and the Echinades Islets respectively are characterized and delimited as an Allocated Zone for Aquaculture (AZA), by the Presidential Decree of 23 January 2023.

The study was presented in 2015 and has been under consultation with competent public authorities and local stakeholders since then. The AZA establishment resolves conflicts between current and future economic activities, including tourism. The act is expected to encourage sustainable growth which will benefit the local community and environment.

Finally, the implementation of best practices within the AZA framework will be crucial in preserving the local ecosystem and promoting sustainability.

Read more…

Aquaculture Congress 2022 – Proceedings

Dec 30, 2022

 

We are pleased to announce that the proceedings from the 2nd Aquaculture Congress 2022, “Challenges and Perspectives for a Blue-Green Aquaculture,” held on April 15-16, 2022 at the Athens International Conference Centre, are now available on the Congress’s website, in English (https://aquaculture-congress2022.events.podimatas.gr/Proceedings.pdf) and in Greek (https://aquaculture-congress2022.events.podimatas.gr/digital_gr.pdf)

The website will remain active at least until the next congress, scheduled for June 2024.

The Commission has adopted the EMFAF program for Greece

Dec 7, 2022

The Commission has adopted the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) program for Greece. The total amount of the allocated funds for Greece, which covers this six-year period, is €519.6 million, of which the EU contribution accounts for €363.7 million. Read more: emfaf-programme-greece-summary_en

 

European Parliament supports the development of sustainable aquaculture in the EU.

Oct 6, 2022

The EU imports 70% of all the aquatic food it consumes, resulting in an annual trade deficit of 21 billion euro.
There is considerable social, environmental and economic potential for an EU aquaculture industry.

EU aquaculture could contribute to food supply and food security, by providing sustainable and quality food products with a smaller environmental footprint than land-based farming, supporting the European Green Deal and the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy.

The European Parliament adopted the report on sustainable aquaculture in the EU drawn up by rapporteur Clara Aguilera (Socialists, Spain) on Tuesday 4 October 2022. By 486 votes to 105 with 27 abstentions, MEPs stressed the social, environmental and economic dynamics of aquaculture in the EU.

EU organic aquaculture production: steep rise for organic shellfish, finfish struggles to keep up

Jun 10, 2022

A new EUMOFA report reveals that the EU’s organic aquaculture production has increased by 60% in five years (2015-2020), mainly due to a growth in organic mussel production. Organic production from finfish, however, is stalling or even decreasing, mostly due to the limited demand and technical difficulties to apply the EU organic regulation. Total organic aquaculture production at EU 27 level is estimated at 74,032 tonnes in 2020, which accounts for 6.4% of the total EU aquaculture production.

 

Aquaculture Congress 2022

Jan 11, 2022

Following the success of the 1st Aquaculture Conference in 2018, the 2nd Aquaculture Congress is organized by AMBIO SA with the support of the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization. The entire sector will be represented in the congress whilst, it will be attended by senior EU and governmental officials. Distinguished speakers from Greece and abroad will also participate.

The main focus of the congress is to highlight the dynamics of the industry in light of the new CFP, the recent developments on EU aquaculture guidelines, the Green Deal and related initiatives such as “The Mediterranean: a model sea by 2030”, where the need for national and international collaborations are emphasized.

The agenda will include the transition to a sustainable and competitive aquaculture, capable of contributing to climate neutrality, zero pollution, the development of the circular economy, ensuring nutritious and healthy food. At the same time, investment opportunities will be highlighted, promoting a spirit of cooperation between European, Mediterranean and Arab countries.

“Mediterranean: a model sea by 2030” (PAMEx)

Sep 10, 2021

The new initiative “Mediterranean: a model sea by 2030” was launched under the coordination of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October 2020.

The initiative aims to develop an Action Plan jointly among a number of Mediterranean countries participating in the process, which would include concrete actions, time and quantitative targets to achieve sustainable development in the Mediterranean by 2030.

There are eight participating countries in the initiative: France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and five participating Organizations: The Barcelona Convention/UNEP-MAP, Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the European Commission through the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The Action Plan includes four thematic axes at regional and national level for:

• Protection of marine biodiversity,
• Promoting sustainable fishing and stopping overfishing,
• Addressing marine pollution, in particular plastic waste,
• Promoting sustainable maritime transport practices that protect the environment and help tackle climate change.

European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)

Jul 7, 2021

The EMFAF runs from 2021 to 2027 and supports the EU common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance.

It provides support for developing innovative projects ensuring that aquatic and maritime resources are used sustainably.

As a global ocean actor and a major producer of seafood, the EU has a responsibility to protect and sustainably use the oceans and their resources. It is also in the EU’s socio-economic interest to guarantee the availability of food supplies, the competitiveness of the maritime economy and the livelihood of coastal communities.

The European Commission has adopted the Communication Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021-2030

May 12, 2021

Since 2013, the farming of fish and seafood (aquaculture) in the EU has been subject to a set of EU-wide strategic guidelines, which set out standard priorities and targets, to ensure the sector is run and developed sustainably. On 12 May 2021 the European Commission has adopted the Communication Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021-2030.

This Communication, which is part of the initiatives contributing to the European Green Deal and, more particularly, the Farm to Fork strategy, updates the guidelines, in line with relevant recent developments. This strategy recognises the important potential of sustainable aquaculture as a low carbon source of food and feed to contribute to the acceleration of the transition to an EU sustainable food system.

The revision will also help EU countries update their multiannual aquaculture plans.

BlueMed Conference 2021

A Conference about Blue Growth & Innovation in the Mediterrenean Area: practices, results and strategies

Feb 5, 2021

The BlueMed Conference 2021 about Blue Growth and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area will take place between 22-24 February 2021.

What is the BlueMed Inititative

To explain what the BlueMed Initiative is about: it was jointly developed and agreed between Cyprus, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. It facilitated with the support of the European Commission in 2014. So, BlueMed has hence the opportunity to act on both sides of the Mediterranean. Its role is to promote Euro-Mediterranean collaboration, and foster Blue Growth-related research and innovation activities.

The Mediterranean Sea is a crucial crossroad for the history, economy, culture of Europe, Middle East and North African countries. Many different interests depend on its resources, and the development of a coordinated plan. This plan is for a shared, coherent an sustainable management is of paramount importance.

Moreover, crucial issues like plastic pollution need to be tackled together by all Mediterranean countries. They all need to pool relevant knowledge and people both from research and from the socio-political arena.

The BlueMed Initiative, launched in 2014, addresses these challenges, working on all the relevant levels. Together with stimulating pan-Mediterranean network-building and coordinating thematic platforms. To clarify, the co-building of a shared Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, the subsequent goals prioritisation and the development of their Implementation Plans, as well as the outcomes of the Pilot Initiative for a Healthy, Plastic-free Mediterranean Sea, of the Start Up Actions and of the Ambassadors’ Programme are the most mature achievements of the BlueMed work and will be presented during the conference.

The BlueMed Conference 2021

The event will focus on the most relevant outcomes of the BlueMed CSA.

After intense collaborative work, the Mediterranean countries will showcase the process and results of the Pilot Initiative for a Healthy, Plastic-free Mediterranean Sea to tackle the marine litter issue. The voices of the BlueMed Pilot National Hubs and of key stakeholders will present this unique success story and envisage its future.

The BlueMed solid and widely participated cooperation process among countries led first to a co-owned Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and then to the endorsement of the Implementation Plan. These tools serve future activities: the executives will present the Strategic Joint Actions during the conference.

The BlueMed StartUp Actions, which worked on different topics but all encompassing the BlueMed perspective, will engage in a conversation and present their feasibility studies.

The BlueMed Young Ambassadors will share their experiences and reflections. In addition, they will engage in a dialogue with their colleagues from other Basins. Their aim will be to build future common paths, in the co-responsibility spirit of the One Planet-One Ocean approach.

The event will be organised in a lively and engaging way, making use of devoted tools to favour the active participation
of all the attendees.

You can register here: http://www.bluemed-initiative.eu/bluemed-final-conference/#registration

All in all, if you need more details about the event, please contact us.