The Politics of Aquaculture

Aquaculture is generally presented as an ‘industrial mode of food production’ (Castle et al 2008: 221), including the farming, processing and retailing of fish[1] and aquatic food[2]. In a global context of declining wild fish stocks, consumer demands for fish are increasingly being met through this industry, whose global output has doubled in the past ten years (Culver and Castle 2008: 93). Within this, the European Union (EU) aquaculture industry produces c.28% by volume and c.37% by value of global production (Ernst and Young 2008: 32). Additionally, it makes a significant contribution to the EU economy and, more precisely, to the development of European coastal and rural areas. Specifically, and concerning the EU food industry as a whole, when compared for example to the poultry and pig industries, it is considered to be the most dynamic and with the greatest growth potential (Ernst and Young 2008: 50-51).

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