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The 2026 edition of the Women in Aquaculture training series was hosted in İzmir, Türkiye on 19–21 January. The programme combined technical site visits with peer exchange and expert input, enabling participants to analyse different operational and business models and to better understand how investment, innovation and sustainability interact in practice.

The programme focused on investment readiness, targeting women active across aquaculture value chains who are seeking to scale operations, improve financial viability, and navigate increasingly complex production and regulatory environments. Participants included aquaculture entrepreneurs, farm and hatchery managers, operations and production managers, processors, researchers and public sector professionals, reflecting the diversity of women-led roles across the region.

By the end of the programme, participants reported increased confidence in evaluating investment opportunities, a clearer understanding of how technical and operational choices affect financial viability and the identification of concrete next steps for business development and collaboration. Participants highlighted the value of hands-on site visits, which helped translate theory into practical experience and showcased the diversity of roles and career paths within the aquaculture sector. Participants also noted that the opportunity to directly observe and sample products during the visits helped demonstrate the high-quality taste and presentation standards achieved by women-led processing companies, reinforcing the importance of value addition and market positioning.

“Seeing different companies and women-led businesses first-hand made the training especially meaningful,” noted one participant.

“The training was a truly valuable and inspiring experience, both professionally and personally,” said another participant. “Sharing experiences and perspectives with other women in the aquaculture sector created an empowering environment and strong collective energy.”

Beyond individual skills development, the programme strengthened peer exchange among women professionals from across the Mediterranean and Black Sea region, supporting the development of networks for continued collaboration.

Turning regional collaboration into practical training outcomes

This workshop, organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in partnership with the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), with the involvement of FEAP member Aegean Exporters’ Associations and with the support of the European Union, is part of an ongoing series of training series, with previous editions held in Tunisia, Greece and Spain.

“This training goes beyond technical skills. It reflects the commitment of GFCM Members and partners -particularly FEAP- not only to recognize the role of women in aquaculture, but also to turn this commitment into concrete actions that strengthen their contribution to the blue economy,” said Houssam Hamza, GFCM Aquaculture Officer.

The series aims to strengthen technical skills, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience, and build a professional network among women active in Mediterranean and Black Sea aquatic food systems. This network-building dynamic contributed to the creation of the Network of Women in Aquaculture, an initiative dedicated to promoting gender equality and inclusivity across the global aquaculture sector.

Why this matters for the region

Aquatic food systems in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea produce more than 2 million tonnes of food annually, generating USD 21.5 billion and supporting 1.17 million jobs along the value chain. Aquaculture relies on over 35 000 enterprises, most of them small- and medium-sized, and accounts for more than 45 percent of total aquatic food production in the region.

Women represent 29 percent of jobs across fisheries and aquaculture value chains. At the same time, aquaculture is expected to play an increasingly central role in meeting future food demand, with regional production needing to grow by 14–29 percent by 2050 to keep pace with population growth.

In this context, strengthening women’s leadership and investment readiness is increasingly recognized as critical for improving sector resilience, supporting sustainable growth, and ensuring that small- and medium-sized enterprises can adapt to challenges linked to climate change, disease, evolving technologies and regulatory complexity.

The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026). The Year will spotlight the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade, while often going unrecognized. Women farmers are central to food security, nutrition and economic resilience. The International Year of the Woman Farmer will raise awareness and promote actions to close the gender gaps and improve women’s livelihoods worldwide.

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This year has again been rich in landmark moments, achievements, innovative actions and emotions.
With this report, you will explore how we have once again continuously defended our dedication towards European fish farmers, how we took action to promote generational renewal and the work of young fish farmers and aquaculture professionals, how FEAP successfully teamed up with other European partners in initiatives and projects to push forward the resilience and development of European aquaculture… and so much more.

FEAP

With this new training opportunity, FEAP wants to help young professionals better understand the role of EU-level institutions, lobbies, networks, but also how to have a transformative impact on the future of fish farming in Europe, from farm to associations.

Who is it for? Fish farmers and aquaculture professionals under 45, eager to learn about Brussels institutions, ready to exchange in English. 10 participants will be selected to attend the training.

What will you get out of this training? This training will bring you the opportunity to join a community of knowledge, connect across Europe with like-minded professionals of all ages and horizons, help you in your career, open opportunities for your professional development and benefit the whole fish farming sector in the long run.

The program will include:
Visits and meetings with representatives of institutions and the ecosystem of aquaculture stakeholders on the Brussels scene, workshops with invited experts from the EU aquaculture sphere, group work, informal networking sessions and much more!

Expenses covered by FEAP:
• two nights’ accommodation in Brussels
• travels to Brussels and public transportation
• dinner in Brussels on 17th, lunch on the 18th.

How to apply: follow this link for the complete guidelines and application form !
We’re looking forward to receiving your application!

Held in a small-committee format with the Presidents and Secretaries General of each organisation, the meeting focused on reversing the long-term decline of EU aquaculture, strengthening policy coherence, and defining clear priorities for competitiveness, spatial planning, research, and innovation.

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With the Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture now included in the Commission’s 2026 Work Programme, stakeholders are urging that blue foods be fully integrated into this Vision. The proposal has already received strong backing from the European Economic and Social Committee, Members of the European Parliament, and several Advisory Councils.

For FEAP, this initiative is particularly important: a future Blue Food Action Plan would help strengthen Europe’s food security, highlight the nutritional and environmental value of farmed fish, and promote aquaculture as a strategic food-producing sector in the EU’s future policies.

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In 2025, this first edition awarded Mr Josef Stier’s, a young aquaculture producer who developed a modern indoor fish farm in Bärnau, Germany. His innovative, holistic production concept is a prime example of sustainable and responsible food production and deserves recognition through the FEAP–Laschinger NextGen Award.

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Bernhard Feneis, VDBA President – Josef Stier, 2025 NextGen Award

Lara Barazi, FEAP President – Josef Stier, 2025 NextGen Award – Lauri Laschinger – Ulrike Müller

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