A measure out of line with the principle of proportionality

While EBFA obviously supports the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems, the Commission has prohibited fishing in a total area three times larger than necessary: for 5 237 km² of VMEs to protect, the European Commission has prohibited fishing in 16 419 km² (see appendix). This lack of proportionality is particularly concerning and does mean further closure of marine areas with no need for protection. According to EBFA, it would be like putting an area closure in the Alps where you may be trying to protect the peak while the closure will protect the whole valley.

A threat to European food sovereignty and safety

Bottom fishing is a major contributor to European food sovereignty: it accounts for more than one million tons of fish caught each year, i.e. 25% of total catches on a European scale. While the European Union already imports more than 70% of the fish consumed each year by European citizens, it is surprising to see the European Commission reinforcing this dependence through a disproportionate regulation.

Lack of socio-economic impact analysis

It is particularly shocking that the European Commission refuses to study the economic and social consequences of such a decision, which endangers the future of bottom fishing in the Atlantic and therefore threatens more than 10,000 fishermen.

What’s more, the Commission has failed to consult the competent European bodies (in this case the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries – STECF), or conduct any socio-economic impact study which is contrary to European regulations and even the Treaties. This poses a threat as to the legality of the measure.

Ivan Lopez, EBFA president, reacted to the meeting: “We welcome the opportunity offered by the Commissioner to meet and debate this crucial issue in person. We also appreciate the commitment to improve the consultation process and the underpinning science in future processes. For the EBFA, it was useful to plainly lay out the sector’s fear and expose the shortcomings and negative consequences of the EC’s implementing act. We have requested, once more, to Commissioner Sinkevicius to suspend this measure until the new science and impact assessment are available.” Mr López concluded: “The sector does not dispute the need for VME protection. However, the EU cannot afford to waste squeezing marine space for fishing. We could understand the closure of 5 237 km2 of real vulnerable ecosystem areas but cannot accept, neither understand, the total closure of more than 16 400 km2 for no apparent reason”.

About the EBFA

The European Bottom Fishing Alliance is a fishing industry coalition representing over 20 000 fishermen and 7 000 vessels, ranging from artisanal to large scale bottom fisheries in all waters of the EU, coastal and further out and in third country waters, that have come together to defend, support and showcase the environmental, economic, social and cultural realities of active bottom fishing gears operating across the European Union fishing nations.

Press Contact:

Emmanuel Dubarry – Backbone Consulting – FR/EN: +33 7 82 24 10 97

EBFA Press Release – Meeting Commissioner Sinkevicius

Despite the numerous calls from the EU on all countries to take proportional effort and responsibility towards the good management and full recovery of bigeye tuna, some countries[1] have been increasing catches of tropical tuna stocks in the last decade, in stark contrast with the catch reductions for the EU fleet. After long debates, ICCAT parties decided to set a TAC of 62,000 tonnes for bigeye tuna, a roll-over of the TAC of 110,000 tonnes for yellowfin, as well as a period of closure of fishing on FADs[2] being reduced from 3 months to 72 days over the entire area of ​​the Atlantic.

Mr Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “An increase in the bigeye tuna TAC to 75,000 tonnes was possible and within the limits set by scientific recommendations. This would have particularly benefited some developing coastal countries and, as such, it was a missed opportunity. Europêche also regrets the continuation of the FAD closure, although slightly reduced, given its excessive socio-economic impact. Nevertheless, European tuna fishing vessels will continue to follow and respect ICCAT’s recommendations”.

Concerning the North Atlantic albacore stock, the sector criticises the unjustified introduction of a precautionary approach much stricter than usual for a stock that is in healthy conditions. In addition, the stock will remain underexploited given the absence of a revision of the management objectives which will be addressed next year by the ICCAT’s scientific committee. “Regrettably, our fishermen have not stopped tightening their belts on their national quota since 2016 due to a lack of timely legislative action” indicates Javier Garat.

Finally, the shortfin mako shark has been the subject of long debates leading to a retention ban for the year 2022 and 2023, pending an assessment by the scientific committee on the possible retention of already dead specimens. The retention on board of mako sharks that arrive dead to the vessel was defended by the European Union and the sector. “The president of ICCAT’s scientific committee already specified in 2019 that discarding dead fish does not bring any conservation value to the rebuilding of the stock. Besides, it’s a waste of food, prevents the collection of scientific data and does not recognise the efforts made by EU fishermen who have reduced their catches by almost 40% in the last few years” denounces Javier Garat.

Europêche once again criticises the opposition and veto of certain Asian countries to introduce the obligation to provide more data to scientists and to land the fins naturally attached to the bodies, an obligation already applied in the EU. Javier Garat concluded: “ICCAT should be categorical on this point, “no data, no fishing”.

[1] For instance, Senegal, China, Korea and Brazil.

[2] Fishing Aggregated devices used in the purse-seine fishery.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  daniel.voces@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 2021

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