{"ky":210843,"docuLanguageResource":{"ky":686955,"title":"Commissioner Kadis delivers a speech via video message at the 9th International Shellfish Conference 2026 ","subtitle":"9th International Shellfish Conference ","htmlContent":"

Ladies and gentlemen,

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I am honoured to address you today, though I regret not being able to join you in person for this event celebrating the Dutch shellfish producers.

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Firstly, I would like to thank the organisers – the Dutch Shellfish Sector – for bringing everyone together for this important event focused on the perspectives for sustainable shellfish production and marketing.

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Shellfish farming is a well-established and vital part of farmed seafood production in Europe. The “Strategic guidelines for EU aquaculture” adopted by the Commission in 2021, promote this type of aquaculture because of its low environmental impact and its numerous benefits. Shellfish farming supports biodiversity, improves water quality, and it can help mitigate impacts of climate change, such as coastal erosion. These benefits were highlighted in a scientific study commissioned by my services and published last December.

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Despite this push for growth, shellfish production in the EU is in decline. This trend stems from a combination of challenges such as climate change, disease, and predation. Over the past decade, the EU's shellfish production has decreased by 2% annually. To illustrate this further, less than 1% of the EU's coastal waters were used for shellfish concessions in 2022.

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The Commission is fully aware of these challenges and is taking proactive steps to support the shellfish farming sector, working closely with Member States experts and sector representatives. We conducted a dedicated study to identify best practices, which will lead to concrete measures to address these challenges. This analysis and recommendations will soon be available on the EU aquaculture website.

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We also support several research projects aimed at bolstering the shellfish sector, such as “SHELLFISHBOOST”, a project designed to enhance the resilience of European shellfish production against the impacts of climate change. In addition, an EU-funded study on “Scaling-up EU cultivation of shellfish and algae” is underway. It is developing and testing tools to assess the feasibility and impact of expanding EU shellfish cultivation.

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Furthermore, the European Ocean Pact, adopted by the Commission last June, recognises the crucial role of aquaculture in food security, employment, and economic growth in coastal and rural communities. To reduce reliance on imports—which accounted for 80% of the EU's aquatic food demand in 2023—the Pact advocates for significant growth in EU aquaculture.

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Among other actions, the Pact proposes an EU Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative, set to launch by the end of 2026. This partnership will involve Member States, the aquaculture sector, processors, retailers, research and innovation centres, and financial institutions. They will all be working together to enable sustainable growth of aquaculture in the EU.

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In parallel, we are working on a 2040 vision on fisheries and aquaculture, which we plan to adopt in the second semester next year and which will set the strategic direction on those sectors for the year to come. I invite you to engage with the Commission services and to share your views.

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We count on the active participation of the EU shellfish sector in all these future initiatives.

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With these thoughts in mind, I wish you a fruitful and insightful conference.

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