Co-operative research activities in the field of fisheries and aquaculture are mainly funded through Theme 2 ‘Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology (FAFB)’ in the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7).

The main objective of KBBE research activities in this sector is to provide the necessary knowledge and technological base to strengthen sustainable fisheries management as well as to promote the sustainable and competitive development of aquaculture. While doing this, we take environmental and socio-economic factors into account.

Promoting innovation and improving knowledge transfer of research results to end-users is also part and parcel of our approach. For example, there are currently two European technology platforms directly dealing with fisheries and aquaculture: The European aquaculture and technology innovation platform (www.eatip.eu) and the European fisheries technology platform (www.eftp.eu).

Another key objective is to progressively integrate fisheries and aquaculture research into the wider picture of the EU’s integrated maritime policy. ‘The ocean of tomorrow’ initiative, with its cross-thematic approach and wide scope, is a concrete example of this.

Last but not least, links between national funding agencies across Europe are being promoted with, for example, the MariFish ‘ERA-NET’ on fisheries research (www.MariFish.net).

The main focus of fisheries and aquaculture research within FP7 can be summarised as follows:

 

• Fisheries research
• Aquaculture research
• The Ocean of Tomorrow