On 10 July 2025, the CMA’s Technical Group on Sustainable Aquaculture (SustAqua) held its sixth meeting, in which participants met virtually to present updates, funding opportunities, research and innovative projects aimed at advancing sustainable aquaculture development in the Black Sea Region. The CMA Technical Group on SustAqua, supported by the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism (BSAM), included speakers from the World Bank’s Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative (part of the Blueing the Black Sea (BBSEA) Program), EU-funded initiatives, and regional aquaculture experts.
During the SustAqua Technical Group meeting, the World Bank presented its ongoing support for aquaculture development in several Black Sea countries, emphasising its priorities on capacity building, regulation, stakeholder engagement, and value chain enhancement. Strategic projects targeting environmental protection and climate resilience were of particular focus, with participants discussing outcomes on data standardisation, methodology, policy recommendations and alignment for further regional collaboration.
The EX-AQUA EU-funded project was presented as a successful initiative of innovation in marine algae aquaculture, promoting applied research and the development of a Cluster. Participants will have the opportunity to explore EX-AQUA during an in-person workshop on 30 October 2025, in Constanța, Romania. Another EU initiative was presented, the AQUACLIMANET Cost Action, which focuses on aquaculture adaptation to climate change, and building an international network on innovation, resilience and sustainability. AQUACLIMANET will achieve its goals by organising workshops, training, publications, and research transfer. During the meeting participants expressed strong interest in joining and contributing to the initiative’s activities.
Türkiye’s National Hub shared outcomes from their recent aquaculture event, highlighting priorities such as marine aquaculture sustainability, algae production systems, and regulatory improvements to enhance coordination and partnerships.
Additionally, a draft concept for a Black Sea Joint Aquaculture Monitoring Programme (BS-JAMP) was introduced, proposing a harmonised cross-border framework for monitoring sustainable aquaculture practices. The BS-JAMP proposal centres on four key elements: environmental monitoring, farm-level operations, tracking of inputs such as feed, and collecting socio-economic and governance data.
The SustAqua Technical Group meeting concluded with a shared commitment to continued collaboration, exploring new R&D initiatives, and active participation in the forthcoming events. These include the previously mentioned Steering Group meeting, the dedicated EX-AQUA workshop on algae aquaculture (30 October 2025), and the CMA Annual Stakeholder Conference scheduled for 28 October 2025.