3
Oct
2022
Watch
Striving for a sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture: the way forward (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we have before us a very good report to support aquaculture. In particular, I would like to thank Mr Clara Aguilera for the work she has done to coordinate our work. Supporting aquaculture is a commitment that was expected by a sector that continues to transmit a legacy, a know-how maintained for centuries, which has constantly reinvented itself, but to which we must have shaped our landscapes, to have balanced our ecosystems. It is also an absolutely indispensable commitment to improve the food resilience of European countries. Today, 70% of seafood and fresh water products are imported. And if we don't want to endanger wild fish, then we need to increase our production by supporting aquaculture. This requires a long-term political will. We need trust in this sector and finally a comprehensive strategy for the protection of ecosystems. We will talk a lot about the cormorant, because the cormorant has been successfully protected for decades by the European Union. But today, this bird that has no predators is doing well. It has settled down and is now endangering species of fish that are likely to disappear. It also endangers the entire balance of this sector. Finally, we need to revise this protection under the Habitats Directive if we are to allow aquaculture to develop over time. It is restoring an ecosystem, it is really taking care of our environment and nature to put on the table this absolutely necessary debate.