During NOWA's experts panel |@misPeces
Boosting women’s participation in aquaculture – which currently accounts for barely 25% of jobs in the industry – has become a key priority for NOWA (Network of Women in Aquaculture).
misPeces spoke to Garazi Rodríguez, a representative of NOWA, during Aquaculture Europe 2025 last week in Valencia, with the aim of giving visibility to the network and encouraging more young people and women to join the sector.
NOWA convened a panel of six speakers – three women and three men – to discuss how aquaculture can become “a more attractive and equitable sector.”
As Rodríguez stressed, “we need greater inclusion, and for women to be able to take on the same leadership roles as men. There is still a great deal of work to do.”
Founded only recently and based in France, NOWA seeks to build a strong support network for women across the Mediterranean and Black Sea. According to Rodríguez, one of the main gaps identified is the lack of collective organisation in aquaculture, unlike the fisheries sector where well-established structures already exist, as in Galicia. “We need to connect with other countries and associations in order to help,” she added.
On inspiring young people to see aquaculture as a career choice, Rodríguez pointed out that “there is still a lack of general awareness about what we do. It’s a sector with something almost romantic about it – you work outdoors, in close contact with the environment, the sea and the animals. Yet when young people choose their studies, aquaculture rarely comes to mind.”
NOWA is also working to make female role models in aquaculture more visible, ensuring that panels, conferences and international events achieve a fair balance between women and men.
“Joining NOWA is simple: just visit our website or follow us on social media. Becoming a member helps shine a light on women already doing great things in aquaculture, but who still lack recognition. It means that if someone is looking for a female speaker for a panel, they know where to find her,” Rodríguez underlined.
The organisation is preparing guidelines based on the main ideas shared in Valencia, designed to advance inclusion policies which, NOWA hopes, will also be taken up by policymakers and industry stakeholders.
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