ATTITUDE

Today, there are clear goal conflicts within the EU between ambitions to expand low‑trophic aquaculture – production systems that do not require feed inputs – and the need to protect and restore coastal ecosystems. Mussel and oyster farming are examples of low‑impact production systems with considerable potential to contribute to more sustainable food systems. With appropriate technologies, they can also help improve conditions for biodiversity restoration. Despite this potential, sector development is constrained by regulatory frameworks, low profitability, and practices that are not aligned with its capabilities. The ATTITUDE project (A Transformation Through Improved practice: Targeting Urgent Sustainable Development needs by Enabling Restorative Aquaculture) seeks to enable a more integrated perspective on food production and nature conservation.

From trade-offs to synergies 

The project’s objective is to contribute to a shift in how mussel and oyster farming is perceived – from a potential environmental pressure to a tool for ecosystem restoration and the delivery of essential ecosystem services. Using a transdisciplinary approach, ATTITUDE generates knowledge on how mussel and European oyster farming affects biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, and local communities. Case studies across Europe provide the basis for analysing how farming practices can be designed to maximise positive outcomes, for example through appropriate site selection, adaptation to local conditions and farm designs that optimise ecological benefits.

From a natural science perspective, the project both synthesises existing knowledge and addresses key knowledge gaps, such as larval dispersal and interactions between farmed and wild populations. In parallel, ATTITUDE explores innovative technical and economic solutions within nature conservation, including biodiversity credits, compensation schemes and other financial models that can create stronger incentives for restorative practices. In this way, the project aims to develop concrete strategies to strengthen both the ecological and socio‑economic sustainability of the sector. Through dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders, ATTITUDE also identifies key barriers and enablers in current regulatory frameworks and decision-making processes, and analyses how collaboration between authorities, industry and civil society can be improved.

Knowledge for transformative change 

At an overarching level, ATTITUDE focuses on what is required to realise the full potential of mussel and oyster farming and to initiate long‑term change in both farming practices and governance. Through needs‑based natural science and socio‑economic analyses, the project develops integrated and actionable pathways forward. The aim is to provide decision‑makers and other actors with tools to move from ambition to implementation, tailored to different geographical, ecological and socio‑economic contexts. In doing so, the project supports the implementation of national, European and global goals for biodiversity, nature restoration and sustainable food systems.