After three years of preparatory work, the AAC was formally set up by its more than 40 members at the 1st General Assembly meeting in Paris. The European Commission stressed the importance of the interaction and advice of the AAC on the new Common Fishery policy chapter on Aquaculture which has the key objective to support the sustainable development of EU Aquaculture. The AAC can provide advice on all related European Commission policies including Animal health and food and feed safety legislation as well as Environmental legislation and climate change. Richie Flynn, the newly elected AAC chair stressed the strategic importance of the Aquaculture sector with its more than 14,000 farms (Finfish and bivalves) highlighting the need of the European Commission political support to reduce the current EU deficit of 55% seafood imports, represented at 17.8 Bio € trade deficit. He noted that EU Aquaculture only supplies 5% of total seafood consumption of app. 25 kg/capita.
The stagnating EU Aquaculture sector, which has seen no growth in 20 years was also highlighted by the newly elected FEAP President Mr Gilmozzi at the FEAP Aquaculture in Motion event “farmed in Europe” held on 7 December 2016. He proposed to the European Commission to develop an EU label for aquaculture products in order to raise awareness and informed choice for Consumers. DG MARE showed interest in the concept and stressed the need to link it with the regional sourcing approach in order to increase Consumer information value.
FEFAC’s Fish Feed Committee will meet on 19 January 2017 to discuss the AAC workplan and priorities relating to sustainable fish feed, including fish feed expert participation and contribution to the Working groups on Horizontal issues and Finfish, which will meet in February 2017 in Madrid.