- Theme
- European Atlas of the Seas
- Created on
- 13 November 2025
Have you seen the latest Ocean episode from Euronews titled “Following the data powering Europe’s blue economy”? Do you wish to learn more about the blue economy and aquaculture in particular? We are focusing on this topic this week.
The blue economy refers to any activity that relates to the ocean and seas.[1] This includes, for example, aquaculture, fisheries, marine renewable energy, coastal tourism and biotechnology. European blue economy sectors are very diverse. In the European Union (EU), five million jobs are part of the blue economy.[1] On a global level, the blue economy has an important role. If the ocean was considered a country, it would have had the fifth largest economy in 2019.[2] This was not always the case. In the last 25 years, between 1995 and 2020, the ocean economy doubled! [2]
In the EU, the tourism sector is the largest sector in terms of employment, providing approximately half of the blue economy jobs.[3] Looking at the value added to the blue economy in the EU, coastal tourism and maritime transport are the most important sectors.[3]
The EU Aquaculture sector is diverse and it is an important component of the EU blue economy. Any type of farming in water, whether that is in the ocean, in brackish water, in natural or man-made water bodies on land, is considered aquaculture. In the EU, most aquaculture production takes place in Spain, France, Greece and Italy. Together, these countries produce 64% of European production. Important species produced in the EU include mussels, trout, oysters, sea bream, seabass, carp, mussels, oysters and clams. [4]
In the EU, 70% of the fish and shellfish we eat comes from imports. The aquaculture sector thus plays an important role to reduce reliance on imports.[4] Learn more about the developments in this sector by reading aquaculture stories compiled by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
The EU advances sustainable aquaculture in Europe through policy making. To know the state of seafood farms in Europe, data needs to be collected. The Euronews Ocean episode features mussels and other shellfish farmed in the Galician estuaries in the northwest of Spain. In Galicia's estuaries, where ocean saltwater mixes with river freshwater, tides and rainfall cause salt levels to vary dramatically. Sometimes they reach levels that threaten shellfish survival. Galician estuaries are continuously monitored through a network of automatic platforms operated by INTECMAR — the Technological Institute for the Control of the Marine Environment of Galicia. Data collected in this manner and other data are essential for producers optimising their operations and guaranteeing seafood safety. The data collected also flows into international databases thereby enabling wider analysis that informs policy. The Ocean episode explains that information on the blue economy is freely accessible in the EU Blue Economy Observatory. Interactive dashboards allow users to analyse trends in maritime transport, fisheries, energy and the ongoing energy transition.[5]
Wish to know more?
- Dive in the EU Blue Economy Observatory dashboard;
- Read the 2025 EU Blue Economy Report;
- Learn more about the different EU blue economy sectors;
- Have a look at these EU Blue Economy news articles;
- Explore the Atlas map layer on shellfish farms and click on the symbols on the map to learn more about the shellfish farms;
- Find out how the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet)’s unique and diverse offer of in situ data makes EMODnet a go-to service for the EU Blue Economy;
- Curious about EU-funded projects that advance sustainable aquaculture? Visit the AQUAPHOENIX website to learn about this Horizon Europe project working to capture and reuse aquaculture waste through innovative technology and circular approaches.[6]
The data in the map is provided by EMODnet.
[1] https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/ocean/blue-economy/sustainable-blue-economy_en
[2] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/03/the-ocean-economy-to-2050_e3f6a132.html
[3] https://blue-economy-observatory.ec.europa.eu/dashboard-0_en
[4] https://eu-aquaculture.campaign.europa.eu/about-eu-aquaculture_en