Aquaculture: 87% of B2E Workshop participants are ready to fall in love with sustainable seafood production
87% of B2E Workshop “Aquaculture: Myths and Facts” participants at the UN Ocean Conference side Event One Sustainable Ocean claimed they are ready to fall in love with sustainable seafood production. Also, 89% of the total participants are fish consumers.
That was the result of the last poll question presented at this long-waited date, on Tuesday June 28, considered “a huge success by B2E’s team and the workshop participants”, revealed Elisabete Matos, CoLAB’s Technical-Scientifical Coordinator and Ana Rita Ribeiro, Client Manager, who conducted the event.
B2E challenged and invited people from around the world to identify aquaculture myths based on their country, culture and personal experience. The ultimate goal was to clear doubts, open discuss and work together to find ways to promote sustainable aquaculture and positively contribute to climate-friendly food systems and to the sustainable use of the ocean and its resources.
A massive response with a very participative audience from three continents, aged between mid-twenties and fifties marked the workshop.
Check out our sum up report:
B2E work on Ocean Literacy continues
Sustainable aquaculture is a key and non-stop working area for B2E. Just like aquaculture is not equivalent worldwide, myths surrounding it may also be different and the answers provided now at this workshop might set up the foundation for other projects.
In 2021, the team has launched a campaign to clarify myths of Portuguese aquaculture named “Oh No!” After all, It’s a Myth!, to mark the European Day of the Sea (May 20).
Although Portuguese and EU aquaculture have excellent quality, freshness and safety, most of us have lived for years with myths that perpetuate unrealistic ideas, undermining the whole production, with aquaculture contributing with only 20% of the total EU seafood consumption. This happens even though EU aquaculture products are very healthy and nutritious, produced in a sustainable way, using environmentally friendly processes and promoting animal welfare.
On this campaign B2E identified and worked on four major groups of myths surrounding aquaculture products:
- quality and nutrition;
- production, feed, and environmental impact;
- antibiotics and other hazardous compounds;
- origin.
The UN Ocean Conference Side Event One Sustainable Ocean is organized by Fórum Oceano, Câmara Municipal de Lisboa and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, among other institutions. Check out the event’s website for additional information here.
