The Workshop on aquaculture farmers and farmer organizations: Promoting good practices to boost responsible aquaculture was held on 20 February 2020 in Pordenone, Italy. It was organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies (MiPAAF), Eurofish and the Italian Fish Farmers Association (API). Support was also provided by the FAO projects “Scientific Cooperation to Support Responsible Fisheries in the Adriatic Sea (AdriaMed)” and “Assessment and Monitoring of the Fishery Resources and the Ecosystems in the Straits of Sicily (MedSudMed)”. The event was attended by 136 participants from 18 countries.

The main objective of the workshop was to provide a broad overview of the sustainability aspects of Mediterranean and Black Sea aquaculture, as well as to shed light on and foster discussion of several aspects of aquaculture development, including regional cooperation. After introductory remarks from representatives of MiPAAF, API, FAO and GFCM, the first panel session was dedicated to sustainability. Keynote speakers discussed market and trade trends, public perception of aquaculture products, and the need for research and capacity-building, as well as for improved cooperation with aquaculture farmers. 

The second panel session addressed social responsibility in fisheries and aquaculture value chains. It presented on national farmers’ and farmer organizations’ experiences, including experience of market competition, regulations, environment, animal health, social acceptability of aquaculture, workers’ welfare and capacity-building. Good practices for a responsible sector, lessons learned and an outlook for the future were also outlined. The panel sessions were then followed by a plenary discussion and contributed to identifying practical actions for the future.