News Digest n.5 / 2023
A path to a business in fisheries
In France, to help young people start a business and enter the world of fisheries, the Finistère regional Fisheries and Marine Aquaculture Committee created the EU-funded Pathways to Fisheries project. This 'one-stop shop' helps young people find their way through the maze of information and procedures, complementing the European Year of Skills. The programme gives new fishers a clear overview of where their startup process is and what they need to do next. It also gives them the support and training they need to succeed in the fisheries trade.
EU Fishing Authorisations website launched
The European Commission has launched a new website on EU Fishing Authorisations. Users can now search for data on fishing authorisations that have been granted during the last 10 years for EU vessels fishing outside EU waters and for non-EU vessels fishing in EU waters. This website boosts transparency in EU fisheries and digitalisation of EU administration by making relevant fisheries data available in real-time to the public.
Seaweed startup set to develop sargassum aquafarms
Macrocarbon, Las Palmas-based seaweed startup, is ready to develop algae farms in the subtropical waters off Gran Canaria to cultivate sargassum seaweed, a macroalgae that simultaneously extracts large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere and produces new raw materials for the chemical industry. In May 2022, the project won a grant of €700,000 as part of the Carbon to Value Challenge run by the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND), with additional funding of €2.3 million received from SPRIND in March 2023.
Women in the Blue Economy projects ready to start: Think Big, go Blue!
Following the EMFAF call for proposals on Women in the Blue Economy, CINEA has awarded EU grants to two projects with the objective of bridging the gender gap in the blue economy. First project is called WIN-BIG - Women in Blue Economy Intelligence Gathering and Capacity Boosting and the second one WINBLUE - Empowering Women and Mainstreaming Gender Equality in the Blue Economy.
Sea Rangers sail ahead thanks to BlueInvest
Thanks to the EU BlueInvest Readiness Assistance programme, the Sea Ranger Service has developed its business case and raised €2 million in growth capital in 2021 from private and institutional investors. With its focus on training youth, the project also fits well in the objectives of the European Year of Skills. The BlueInvest Readiness Assistance Programme gave the Sea Rangers’ cause a boost and a direction. Drawing on the advice from their BlueInvest coach, the company has succeeded in developing their business case further and raising €2 million in growth capital in 2021.
4 ways to ensure the future of aquaculture is sustainable
Demand for blue foods is expected to double by 2050, with aquaculture production playing a vital role in augmenting supplies. In fact, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization anticipates that aquaculture will continue to drive growth in global fish production by accounting for 106 million metric tonnes in 2030 - a rise of 32% from 2020 levels. Taking a holistic view, the Global Sustainable Aquaculture Roadmap identifies four key pathways for action that can create change at scale and shift aquaculture systems towards a more sustainable future.
