The Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) has urged the European Commission to clarify the status of aquaculture within the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, warning that the sector’s current exclusion is creating financial, reputational and regulatory uncertainty for European producers and investors.
The EU Taxonomy defines which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable for investment and financing purposes. Although the regulation states that activities not yet included are not necessarily environmentally harmful, the AAC argues that the absence of aquaculture creates a “grey area” that may be interpreted negatively by banks, ESG funds and institutional investors.
According to the document, this situation has two direct consequences: it limits aquaculture producers’ access to finance and may weaken the sector’s public perception at a time when sustainability criteria are becoming increasingly important in corporate financing decisions.
The AAC also notes that aquaculture operates directly in natural environments and under strong public scrutiny, making reputational uncertainty particularly sensitive for the sector.
In response, the advisory body is calling on the European Commission to publicity clarify whether aquaculture will be included in future delegated acts under the Taxonomy framework or whether it will remain outside the system on the basis that is not considered environmentally harmful.
It also requests a growing concern within European aquaculture over the sector’s “investability” in a context where sustainable finance, ESG criteria and environmental perception are increasingly influencing access to capital, financing conditions and long-term investment decisions.
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