World
Algae is a low-carbon protein. The EU is lagging in production
Aquaculture is seen as key to mitigating the challenges faced by the traditional fishing sector.
Aquaculture supplies only 20% of the European Union’s seafood consumption, much lower than the global average of 50%, which the European Commission and players in the industry hope to turn around.
The sector is being seen as key to mitigating the challenges faced by the traditional fishing industry based on catching wild species.
“We need to look for success stories of alternative economic uses of the sea that we can expand and share in European coastal areas and create new resilience jobs”, Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, recently told Euronews.
“Being dependent only on fisheries and tourism is very risky for the blue economy. We saw this with the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a big blow for these sectors, which were basically shut down and people were left without income. The same thing happened with the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which had a huge impact on the prices of diesel used by boats. It was again a very difficult period for the fishing sector, which faced increasing operating costs,” Sinkevičius said.
The European Commission presented, last February, a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU’s fisheries and aquaculture sector and the European Parliament is also preparing a report about the last 10 years of the Common fisheries policy.
Pierre Karleskind, chair of the Fisheries Committee at the European Parliament, defends a balanced approach between economic uses and biodiversity protection.
“We are interested in this idea of maritime planning, where we can say that in that place we can fish, in another we must protect the ecosystems, or that that place we can also develop aquaculture. There’s room for everyone, we just need to get around the table, work with the researchers and get everyone, including the fishermen, moving in the right direction,” the French liberal MEP told Euronews.
The potential of algae
The EU Blue Economy 2023 Report, launched last week, states that algae are key to this new approach, generating €10 million in turnover in France, Spain and Portugal, where they are developing rapidly.
Worldwide, algae are mainly cultivated and over 97% of all production comes from Asia, with Chinese production accounting for 57% of the total. The EU imports most of what it uses in various industries, from food to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and now even textiles. There has also been some harvesting of wild stocks and aquaculture systems are becoming more common.
“Europe currently imports around €600 million a year in algae-based products and the aim is to reverse this activity. There are currently around 80 companies engaged in seaweed aquaculture, spread across several European Union countries, with production focused mainly on four types of algae that allow this sector to develop in both northern and southern Europe,” Helena Abreu, Vice-president of the International Seaweed Association, told Euronews.
But there is still much to be done in terms of facilitating access to the marine space, in order to identify the best locations for these farms, as well as mechanisms to support technology transfer from research to the market and also raising public awareness by creating information and marketing strategies. The professionals are now calling for better regulation of this low-carbon protein.
“On a regulatory level, we want fair competition, we want the rules to be the same for all. Europe can provide this framework, first of all. We want easy access to sea or seawater, whether on land or at sea, and to encourage the creation of companies,” Jean-Baptiste Wallaert, President of the French Union for Algae and Marine Plants told Euronews.
“We want the list of algae that can be used to be a little longer: in Brittany, we have 700 species of algae, but for human consumption, we only have 40 authorised species,” he added.
The European Commission has previously promised to put in place actions to support this sector, notably by “funding pilot projects for career reorientation and supporting SMEs and innovative projects in the algae sector” and “conducting studies and debates to better understand the role of algae” in the economic sustainable production and strategies to tackling climate change.
World
TVLine Items: Garrett Dillahunt Joins High Potential, Harley Quinn Spinoff Trailer and More
ad
World
Tourist plane crashes onto highway in France, killing three: video
Horrifying video shows the aftermath of a deadly tourist plane crash on a highway in France on Sunday.
The crash took place on the A4 highway near Collegien, a small commune in the Seine-et-Marne region of the country. Collegien is roughly 18 miles east of Paris.
Three people, a woman and two men, were killed in the crash. According to Storyful, the plane had two other occupants, but their statuses are unknown.
Social media footage shows bumper-to-bumper traffic next to the mangled plane, which appeared to be lying upside down.
SMALL PLANE CARRYING TWO PEOPLE CRASHES IN NASHVILLE SUBURB: POLICE
In the video, smoke was billowing from the scene as emergency officials tended to the crash.
Local prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier told the French newspaper Le Parisian that the pilot “very likely” hit a high voltage line shortly after the plane took off. Local reports say that Bladier is investigating the situation as a possible involuntary manslaughter.
ALASKA LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDS TO WORLD WAR II-ERA PLANE CRASH WITH 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD
Plane crashes next to or on highways are rare. In August 2023, a small aircraft crashed on the side of a Malaysian highway, killing at least nine people.
In February, two people died in a plane crash on Interstate 75 in Naples, Florida.
French authorities are actively investigating the situation. No other information is known at this time.
World
Far-right win in France would not change Labour's EU plans – Starmer
The UK Labour leader expressed willingness to work with any government in Europe.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he will press on with plans to re-negotiate part of the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the European Union, even if the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen enters government in France.
Starmer – whose Labour party is topping opinion polls ahead of Thursday’s general election – told reporters on the campaign trail on Monday that he didn’t think a far-right win in France would change his party’s “overall intention” of negotiating “a better deal with the EU.”
The UK general election is sandwiched between the two rounds of snap legislative elections in France, abruptly convened by President Emmanuel Macron in what has been described as a high-stakes political gamble.
The far-right National Rally – which has seen its support bolstered under the leadership of Le Pen’s 28-year old protégé Jordan Bardella – swept to victory with 33.4% of the national vote during the first round on Sunday.
The left-wing New Popular Front coalition came in second at 27.9% the vote, with Macron’s centrist alliance trailing third at 20.7%. It places the far-right RN as firm favourites going into the second round, although other parties may tactically remove their candidates from the race in order to block a far-right victory.
“l work with any government in Europe and across the world if we are elected in to serve the country. For me, that’s what serious government is about,” Starmer said on Monday.
But he also made a pitch for centrist forces such as his own Labour party, which is perceived to have gravitated more towards the centre-ground since he replaced Jeremy Corbyn as the party’s leader in 2020.
“The lesson that I take from nationalism and populism, wherever it is across Europe (…) is that we need to address the everyday concerns of so many people in this country who feel disaffected by politics,” Starmer said.
“We have to take that head on and we have to show on Thursday in the UK and across Europe and the world that only progressives have the answer to the challenges that are facing us in this country and across Europe.”
The Labour leader – who campaigned to remain in the European Union ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum – has kept details of his plan to re-open the post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels vague.
His shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suggested that chemicals regulation and financial services could be potential areas were a prospective Labour government could seek greater EU alignment.
Starmer has firmly assured he will not seek re-joining the EU’s single market or customs union, or allow the return of freedom of movement. A clause in the post-Brexit TCA foresees a review of the deal in 2026.
-
News1 week ago
A Florida family is suing NASA after a piece of space debris crashed through their home
-
World1 week ago
Israel accepts bilateral meeting with EU, but with conditions
-
World1 week ago
Israel will be the ‘ultimate loser’ in war with Hezbollah, Iran says
-
World1 week ago
New Caledonia independence activists sent to France for detention
-
News1 week ago
Arkansas police confirm 4th victim died in grocery store shooting
-
World1 week ago
Netanyahu says war will continue even if ceasefire deal agreed with Hamas
-
Politics1 week ago
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pledges to pass Ten Commandments bill after Louisiana passes similar law
-
Politics1 week ago
DeSantis signs bill allowing residents to kill bears, vetoes bill that fines slow left lane drivers