September 16, 2008

Over-regulation and zealous planning authorities are crippling Europe's once lucrative aquaculture industry.

Scottish Conservative Euro MP Struan Stevenson said at an international conference sponsored by the Spanish Government and supported by the French Presidency in Brussels, that they have allowed non-EU competitors to dominate this rapidly developing sector and seen their indigenous industry hemorrhage jobs to countries outside of EU.

He added that at a time of soaring food prices and rising consumer demand, the EU imports almost 50 percent of its seafood needs when they are perfectly capable of producing this food themselves.

Mr Stevenson went on to say that marine aquaculture the fastest growing food sector in the world, growing at 9 percent per annum everywhere except in the EU, where growth is stagnating and that they are in danger of starving in a land of plenty.