Introduction
Aquaculture plays a central role in the European Union’s ambitions to build sustainable food systems, secure protein sources, and support economic resilience across its regions. Yet the sector faces major challenges—ranging from climate change and environmental degradation to increased global competition and evolving consumer expectations. Breeding and genetics are key tools to address these challenges while improving productivity, animal welfare, and ecological efficiency. The Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction Technology Platform (FABRE TP) has developed a strategic framework to guide research and innovation efforts in this field, based on a shared vision for competitive, resilient and responsible aquaculture.
Methodology
The FABRE TP Aquaculture Research Priorities were developed through a participatory process combining members’ expertise, analysis of recent EU-funded projects (such as AquaFAANG, FISHBOOST, AquaExcel), and targeted stakeholder consultation like EATiP. A dedicated survey in mid-2024 gathered insights from 23 experts across 11 countries, identifying focus traits, key research gaps, and strategic directions. These inputs were synthesised into a structured roadmap aligned with the four pillars from the Strategic Guidelines for Sustainable and Competitive EU Aquaculture (2021–2030), adapted to the context of breeding and genetics.
The priorities were officially presented at the SCAR FISH meeting in March 2025 and at FABRE TP’s Annual Meeting in Brussels, where they were positively received by representatives from DG RTD. The entire process was guided by the principle that collaboration between private breeding organisations, academic research supported by public institutions is essential to delivering impactful, long-term change.
Strategic Pillars and Priorities
Aquaculture systems must adapt to environmental variability—such as temperature fluctuations, water quality shifts, and disease outbreaks—while remaining economically competitive. Priorities under this pillar include genetic adaptation to new rearing environments (e.g. RAS, IMTA), improving multi-trait disease resistance, supporting the domestication of emerging species including algae and low-trophic species, and safeguarding genetic diversity. Developing tools to monitor and limit introgression between farmed and wild populations and expanding the use of reproductive and genomic technologies are also crucial.
2. Engaging in the green transition
Genetics can play a transformative role in reducing aquaculture’s environmental footprint. This includes breeding for feed efficiency, resilience to climate change, and compatibility with circular systems. Innovations in feed ingredients—such as reduced fishmeal and fish oil—require genetic lines that can adapt nutritionally. Genetic co-selection strategies, sterility techniques, and genomic tools to improve traits like stress tolerance and mortality reduction are integral to supporting climate-smart aquaculture.
3. Promoting social acceptance and consumer trust
Transparency, ethical considerations, and communication are central to ensuring social license for aquaculture. Responsible breeding must be paired with public understanding of its benefits for sustainability, animal welfare, and food security. Research is needed to identify and address the social, environmental, and economic dimensions that influence acceptance of breeding technologies—particularly for low-trophic and newly domesticated species. Clear policy frameworks and evidence-based regulation will help navigate innovation while maintaining trust.
4. Advancing knowledge and innovation
A more innovative, data-driven, and collaborative research ecosystem is needed to sustain genetic progress. Priorities include developing automation, sensors, and artificial intelligence to support phenotyping and trait monitoring; applying genomic and gene editing technologies within appropriate risk and ethical frameworks; and strengthening collaborations across public, private, and academic actors. Special attention is needed to expand capacity and infrastructure in EU Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), where climate-adapted breeding programs can support local production and competitiveness.
Conclusion
The survival and adaptability of aquaculture species are cross-cutting challenges that touch all four pillars of this strategy. Addressing them requires long-term investment in breeding programmes and an integrated research and innovation agenda. FABRE TP calls for coordinated action at the EU level—supported by instruments such as Horizon Europe—to fund science and translate it into solutions that are socially accepted, environmentally sustainable, and economically competitive. Collaboration between the private sector, public institutions, and academia is essential to ensure that Europe reinforces its role as a global leader in breeding innovation and improves its competitiveness for sustainable aquaculture.