New insight to help boost Europe’s shellfish sector

Shellfish production is a growing sector in the EU, and can provide a sustainable and healthy, protein-rich food option for European citizens. The EU-funded EUROSHELL (Bridging the gap between science and producers to support the European marine mollusc production sector) project worked on upgrading knowledge transfer and expertise in the sector.

Bringing the industry closer to scientific research, the project defined best practices to build a framework for mollusc producers. It facilitated access to research and funding through regional workshops, meetings and online initiatives.

Several key tools in this respect have been integrated into the EUROSHELL website. A powerful mapping tool enables users to identify production zones and major species in Europe, while another tool offers a research roadmap linked with the European Mollusc Producers Association. There is also a rich database on research results and outputs that can be browsed based on environment, product, market and management/governance.

In parallel, the workshops identified obstacles to knowledge management, offered solutions to promote knowledge transfer and articulated a future vision for the sector. They explored issues related to territory, product, market and governance, leading to a clearer vision and strategic agenda for research and innovation.

Identified research topics include new and existing technologies, shellfish quality enhancement, lifecycle and biology of cultivated species, shellfish health, water management for shellfish farmers, and spatial planning of aquaculture. Equally important were issues such as the effects of climate change on shellfish, diversification of markets, product labelling and product marketing.

One of the key outcomes of the project involved the identification of challenges and the proposal of solutions. Proposed solutions include enhanced dialogue, simpler administrative procedures for research, courses for producers, cross-learning, better rules for knowledge transfer and development of new communication tools.

All the project’s efforts have contributed to developing synergies among stakeholders in the field on a global scale, from coastal communities and authorities to producers and training providers. The online tools, research results, best practices and proposed solutions will no doubt strengthen the production and sale of European shellfish.