This week, the European Commission published its Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture, a 15-year roadmap detailing its plans to expand the EU aquaculture sector.

We took a deep dive into the Commission’s plans to see if it truly intends to bring about the urgently needed transition towards a high-welfare, sustainable aquaculture system that does not empty our oceans, harm fish and other aquatic animals, or starve local communities in the Global South.

Key takeaways

The Vision announced:

a legislative proposal by the end of 2027, with the clear goal of consistent growth for EU aquaculture, including carnivorous aquaculture
a roadmap for the decarbonisation of the aquaculture industry, highlighting the major emissions caused by feed and acknowledging the benefits of low trophic aquaculture
a commitment on animal welfare, however it failed to come up with a clear roadmap for future legislation for the welfare of aquatic animals.

The fundamental flaw of aquaculture

Aquatic animals are sentient beings who experience pain and joy. Yet, the lack of specific standards to protect them, condemns up to a billion across the EU to immense suffering during their rearing, transport, and slaughter.

While the European Commission acknowledges high animal welfare as a pillar of EU aquaculture, and the need to further develop the EU framework for the welfare of farmed aquatic animals, it lacks any commitment to adopt legislation to protect the welfare of farmed aquatic animals, failing to address the concerns of 91% of people polled across nine EU countries who believe the welfare of fish should be protected to the same or greater extent as other farmed animals.

Feeding wild-caught fish to carnivorous fish on intensive farms also puts huge pressure on ocean ecosystems, contributes to overfishing, and reduces the supply of fish for coastal communities to eat.

We outlined these issues in a report last year (The Growing Threat of Carnivorous Aquaculture) and in our latest report on the farming of Atlantic bluefin tuna. During this year's EU Ocean Week, we also delved deeper into the negative consequences of carnivorous fish farming and the fish feed crisis it enhances.

The Vision 2040 misses the point

It is disappointing not to see greater ambition in questioning whether carnivorous aquaculture is the right way forward for the EU.

Abundant scientific evidence and the Commission’s own Strategic Guidelines on Sustainable Aquaculture point to the need for a more fundamental shift including:

prioritising low‑trophic species which require little or no feed
introducing rules to protect the welfare of farmed aquatic animals
preventing the further expansion of carnivorous aquaculture.

Although the Vision notes an intention to increase low-trophic aquaculture, the proposed legislation would lead to an increase in carnivorous aquaculture. It also fails to address the issues around wild-caught fish feed, and it does not rule out farming new carnivorous species, such as octopus, risking even greater pressure on wild fish and marine ecosystems.

Urgent action needed

Our projections predict that carnivorous aquaculture in the EU could grow 30% by 2040, with the demand for wild‑caught fish rising by 70%, further increasing ecological, social, and animal welfare pressures.

It’s time for the Commission to truly ensure the sustainability of this sector by stopping the expansion of carnivorous aquaculture in its upcoming Ocean Act and the legislative proposal for aquaculture announced in the Vision.

Alexandre Cottier Pérez, Aquaculture Policy Officer at Compassion in World Farming, said:

Europe cannot claim to champion sustainability while expanding aquaculture systems that rely on stripping our oceans of billions of wild fish each year.

To protect marine ecosystems, global food security, and the welfare of countless sentient animals, we will follow the development of the aquaculture legislation closely and continue to push for the EU to prioritise low‑trophic species and halt the expansion of carnivorous aquaculture.

The future of our seas – and the communities who rely on them – depends on decisive action now.

Missed opportunity: The EU’s new Vision for fisheries and aquaculture