Regulations for organic fish farming in the EU ( No 834/2007)are slated to change on January 1, 2015 to require the use of juveniles from certified organic breeding facilities, and that poses technical challenges to the industry overall. For example, in the case of organic shrimp production, no one has found a way to encourage breeding in captivity without the use of hormones or removing the eyestalks of the shrimp, which is frowned upon by those concerned about animal welfare. Furthermore, economic issues had limited the number of certified organic hatching facilities, which could lead to a shortage of juveniles suitable for organic fish farming. Another challenge stems from regulations that will limit sources of fish meal for feed to waste from sustainably wild caught fish used for human consumption or waste from organic aquaculture. Although this issue will primarily impact organic salmon production, there is not enough fish meal from either source, and supplements of the necessary amino acids are not permitted. To address these challenges, the EU formed Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP) to analyze the situation. IN an August 2014 report, the expert group recommended that organic juveniles should be used when available; at least the latter two thirds of the production cycle be managed under organic management; and that a database on availability of organic juveniles and the organic aquaculture species grown in each country be created.  The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements-EU supports these recommendations, and encourages provisions that would authorize use of non-organic aquaculture juveniles only on a case-by-case basis once it has been demonstrated to the Competent Authority that organic juveniles are not available. See IFOAM’s comments here: http://www.ifoam-eu.org/sites/default/files/ifoameu_reg_letter_aquacultu...