European Council adopts strategy for aqua sector's growth

The European Council has recently adopted a Baltic Sea Strategy - the aim of which is to increase growth in the region and create a cleaner Baltic Sea.

 

Orian Bondestam, consultative civil servant of the Finnish Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, discusses new feed for cultivated fish, one of the Baltic Sea Strategy's flagship projects for a better marine environment.

 

The eutrophication (increase of chemical nutrients) of the Baltic Sea is a major problem, the council notes. Reducing excessive inflow of nutrients into the sea is one of the fifteen priorities in the Baltic Sea Strategy action plan.

 

Bondestam says''the Baltic Sea is particularly vulnerable as it is an inland sea. The long cycle of seawater exchange contributes to the surplus of nutritive salts in the Baltic Sea. Nutritive salts are the cause of a large number of environmental problems, from algal blooms to anoxic sea beds. Anyone who has spent time on the seaside can testify to the problem of eutrophication. Eutrophication also affects fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.  It is more difficult for fish to breed."

 

He adds that''one of the projects in the Baltic Sea Strategy concerns the development of sustainable aquaculture. Aquaculture is one of the industries affecting the marine environment. This effect can be minimised in different ways, for example by placing fish farms in areas with good water circulation.

 

''Eutrophication can also be reduced by developing feeding technology for fish farms. Fish feed consists of fish meal which today is produced mostly from Atlantic or North Sea fish. A small proportion of the fish feed given to the Baltic Sea farms is not consumed by the cultivated fish but ends up in the sea instead, contributing to eutrophication. In practice, this means that we are getting an inflow of nutrients into the Baltic Sea,'' Bondestam shares.