Nearly 400 students from all over Spain have participated today in the Raised in the EU campaign, an initiative that aims to raise awareness among young people about the consumption of sustainable aquaculture products produced in the European Union. Through workshops in schools and institutes, students become familiar with sustainable aquaculture, learn about fish and mollusc farming in fish farms and discover the benefits of this activity for the region’s economy. The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment is in charge of organizing these workshops in Spain.

Since the beginning of the Raised in the EU campaign on October 10, six conferences have taken place in six different provinces of Spain, which have been attended by renowned experts in aquaculture to publicize their experience in the sector. Among them, Damián Costas, an expert in aquaculture and fisheries at the Marine Sciences Station (ECIMAT), who attended the talk in San Miguel de Oia (Pontevedra); Anna Nebot, technical director of AiguaNatura and Álvaro Rodríguez, head of aquaculture at Liptosa led the workshops in Roquetas (Tarragona) and Mora (Toledo), respectively. For her part, María del Mar Barrios, director of the Aquaculture Technology Centre (CTAQUA), participated in the conference in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), as well as Mateo Ballester from the Murcian Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Development (IMIDA) and Kilian Toledo, researcher at the University of Alicante, who gave their workshops in Fuente Álamo (Murcia) and Altea (Alicante).

The days in schools will continue during the months of October and November, months in which the campaign will be developed. For next week, 12 workshops are already scheduled in six other Spanish provinces.

In addition to the workshops, the campaign also features the Say Yes to Sustainable Aquaculture contest. Until November 1, students will be able to submit drawings, projects or photographs that show an artistic and carefree vision of aquaculture. The winners will be awarded a diploma of participation, the story “The Emperor’s Dream”, a batch of aquaculture products and a visit to an aquaculture facility.

The prizes of the contest will be awarded on November 28 during the event that will be held, on the occasion of Aquaculture Day (November 30), at the National Museum of Science and Technology (MUNCYT).