There is a misconception that aquaculture competes with the natural environment, when scientific evidence shows that it is, in fact, its main protector.

As aquaculture currently accounts for more than half of the aquatic food we consume, it enables a measurable reduction in fishing pressure on wild stocks. This is because aquaculture produces more fish than the resources that need to be taken from the sea to sustain it.

But beyond the flavour and freshness it brings to farmed fish, without it, more than 8,869 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs in Spain would cease to exist. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) points out that for every direct job, up to eight indirect jobs can be created along the value chain.

All these jobs are generated by the Spanish aquaculture sector, which is currently the European Union’s leading aquaculture producer, with an annual output of over 268,564 tonnes and a first-sale value exceeding 856.5 million euros.

Further information: EL PAÍS.