Earlier this week, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis launched a European Union (EU) wide campaign on “EU aquaculture, We work for you with passion.” Over the next three months, this campaign aims to help raise awareness, understanding and support aquaculture development in the EU by showcasing real case stories of producers in the sector and their role in both sustainable food production and their local communities.
For this week’s Map of the Week, we thus mapped out the shellfish, seawater finfish and macroalgae-production farms across Europe, with special attention on the EU producers highlighted in the EU aquaculture campaign. The campaign features nine different species (mussels, trout, clams, sea bream, oysters, carp, salmon, meagre, and seaweed) and many aquaculture producers.
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production sectors in the world and is an important contributor to global food supply and economic growth. In Europe, aquaculture plays a vital role in coastal and river areas and in preserving the maritime river and fishing culture. [1,2] Developing Blue Skills, professions and careers, especially in young generations, is crucial to support the ambitious European Green Deal initiatives in the aquaculture sector, including the transition to sustainable production. To unlock the potential of our coasts and seas for driving sustainable growth and creating new jobs, we must invest in developing new blue skills and fostering career opportunities in this sector [3]. Innovative EU Maritime and Fisheries initiatives are emerging to develop blue skills, with projects like the Next BlueGeneration Project leading the way. These initiatives aim to raise awareness in the next generation about the diverse and promising career opportunities within the Blue Economy. By highlighting the potential for growth and sustainability in this sector, these projects encourage the next generation to pursue careers contributing to ocean conservation and coastal communities. You can read more on the sustainable Blue Economy and Aquaculture in a previous Map of the Week.
Marine data is also key to sustainable aquaculture and the Blue Economy. Interestingly, the EMODnet Open Sea Lab 4.0 Hackathon - co-organised by the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) and the European Commission, in cooperation with the Copernicus Marine Service – also took place on 25-27 March 2025. The Open Sea Lab 4.0 Hackathon brought together data scientists, software developers, social innovators, and changemakers from across Europe and beyond to address critical ocean challenges. Participants used EMODnet’s in situ marine data and Copernicus Marine Service data on the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) platform to develop innovative solutions supporting the EU Green Deal, the EU Mission: Restore Our Ocean and Waters, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This provided participants with the opportunity, amongst others, to find innovative solutions for the Blue Economy sectors!
Wish to learn more?
- Discover the work of EU producers and the species they farm, as highlighted in this week’s map: Meet the producers - European Union;
- Read more about inspiring EU aquaculture stories of individuals driving sustainable aquaculture practices across the EU: Stories - European Union;
- Watch the recent Euronews Ocean episode on ‘Marine industries are welcoming young offenders: “Everyone deserves a second chance”’.
- Find out about initiatives developing blue skills from the recent EU Ocean Days 2025 event: EU-funded initiatives for a sustainable blue economy.
Would you also like to create your own map with the Atlas’ ‘My Notes’ tool? Discover how to do this in our dedicated article!
The data in the map are provided by EMODnet.
[2] https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/ocean/blue-economy/aquaculture_en
[3] https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/ocean/blue-economy/skills-and-career-development_en