Advancing sustainable aquaculture practices through strengthened technical dialogue in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea

Held in Athens on 11–12 February 2026, the FEAP–GFCM Technical Consultation on Sustainable Aquaculture Practices gathered over 70 participants in person and around 50 online to advance sustainable aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Jointly organised by FEAP and the GFCM (FAO) with EU financial support and in collaboration with our member association HAPO, it brought together producers, Technical Advisory Groups, Aquaculture Demonstration Centres, administrations, researchers and sector associations, underscoring that effective regional governance depends on structured producer engagement and farm-level feasibility. Discussions addressed key enablers for balanced growth, including regulatory clarity and licensing, responsible investment, spatial planning and science-based monitoring, animal health and biosecurity, climate resilience, value-chain efficiency and food loss reduction, and innovation through digitalisation and responsible AI. The consultation’s outputs will feed into future deliberations of the GFCM Committee on Aquaculture and the Commission, supporting a bottom-up, producer-driven implementation of the GFCM 2030 Strategy aligned with FAO’s Blue Transformation.