The European Union has established new rules to safeguard the Dogger Bank, a significant Natura 2000 site spanning German and Dutch waters, effective from 18 November 2025. These regulations prohibit fishing with mobile bottom contacting gears in designated areas to minimize disturbances to sandbanks and enhance the ecological integrity of the seabed habitat, which includes key species like sea-pens and thornback rays.
The European Commission has proposed 15 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for EU waters in the Atlantic and Skagerrak-Kattegat for the upcoming year, some extending into 2027 and 2028. These proposals are based on scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to ensure the long-term economic sustainability of EU fisheries.
In a study from the University of Lisbon, researchers analysed the gut microbiome of gilthead seabream to determine its origin, diet, and environmental conditions. This approach can reliably differentiate wild fish from those raised in aquaculture and pinpoint exact production sites using 16S RNA metabarcoding and machine learning.
The European Aquaculture Society (EAS) will hold its next annual event, Aquaculture Europe 2026 (AE2026), in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 28 September to 2 October 2026, following the success of the prior event in Valencia. The theme, “Aquaculture in Global Change,” will focus on the impacts of climate change on food systems and aquaculture.