There is an apparent disconnect between perceptions and reality regarding ocean health. Reasons may include the fact that bad news spreads faster than good news, or the success of misleading campaigns about the state of the oceans which many describe as to be on the verge of collapse.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. According to Europêche, after years of good management and reduction of fishing pressure, fish stocks, particularly in the North East Atlantic, have been increasing significantly reaching in only 10 years, levels 50% higher than in 2010. Besides, 99% of the landings from EU-regulated stocks, 79% at global level, come from sustainable fish stocks. This appears to indicate that the European catch sector has achieved a good balance between food security and biodiversity. Furthermore, thanks to the decreasing low carbon footprint of the sector, 40% down if compared to 1990’s levels, seafood is one of the best food choices to ensure climate protection. 

According to Europêche, EU fishers understand themselves as part of the marine environment, the sea is their workplace, and as such they depend directly on the good health of marine ecosystems. Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, pointed out that: “As guardians of the sea, our fishermen are the first and most interested in taking care of the oceans. For many years they have shown their commitment to responsible fishing, nature, science and seafood supply now and for future generations. Fishing is their way of life. Mr Voces reminded that: “It is fundamental to bring the focus of EU policies on the human side of a sector that cares about its people and the planet. Hundreds of family-run fishing companies are working hard to feed the world’s population with the healthiest animal protein there is, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, creating wealth and employment throughout the entire value chain with the least possible environmental impact.”

The fishing industry represented by Europêche has developed a common vision for the upcoming five years for fishers to be seen, by EU institutions as well as civil society, as part of the solution rather than the problem to face global environmental threats. As part of this new narrative, Europêche aims to communicate the success of good fisheries management and its contribution to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Particular focus will be placed on a balanced approach to the three pillars of sustainability, uphold a zero tolerance against IUU fishing, maintain an international level playing field, debunk myths, prioritise access to traditional fishing grounds, defend the principles of a social economy, support EU fish production, promote EU fisheries agreement, enhance international ocean governance and build trust among EU citizens to generate social license to operate in the seas. 

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Mission Statement

European seafood is famous for being safe, nutritious, of high quality and produced under a well-developed and effective fisheries management system. EU vessels are subject to hundreds of European and national rules to ensure a responsible and sustainable activity. Many more conservation measures for fishery resources, including by-catch, and for the protection of marine ecosystems have been adopted by the EU only last year. The sector assures that, at present, EU fisheries poses no threat for the long-term preservation of fishery resources.

The European Commission strategy claims that nature is in crisis due to the overexploitation of resources, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species and that more species risk extinction than at any point in human history. To revert the situation, the EU governing body proposes to increase the marine protected area (MPA) coverage from 10% to 30%, including a 10% no-take zone for strict conservation purposes, maintain or reduce fishing mortality to or under maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels and increase offshore windfarms even in vulnerable areas under the guise of a win-win solution.

Europêche regrets that the strategy does not appreciate at all the huge improvements in EU fish populations. According to the latest scientific figures, in the North East Atlantic there is 50% more fish at sea in only ten years and overfishing in the EU is at an all-time low. In addition, almost 100% of the landings from EU-regulated stocks in that area come from catches fished at the MSY levels. It also fails to recognise that fishing has the lowest carbon footprint if compared with other food production industries, since wild-caught seafood does not require being artificially fed, the use of water supply, antibiotics or pesticides.

The fishing industry criticises that while for fishing there are strong binding targets, other maritime industries such as oil, gas, dredging, aquaculture or shipping that have a massive carbon footprint, displace animals, disrupt ecosystems and biodiversity are not even mentioned. Europêche qualifies this as discriminatory treatment and window-dressing since the Commission is trying to greenwash the image of the EU through fisheries restrictions.

Furthermore, according to Europêche, the socio-economic consequences of the disproportionate targets are clearly missing since the strategy will consider impact assessments only as a second step. For fishermen, this is putting the cart before the horses. In this line, it is crucial that other effective area‐based conservation measures are considered on an equal footing with MPAs and developed in close cooperation with fishermen given the tremendous socio-economic costs of these measures. 

Europêche argues that, when indicating the economic benefits of MPAs – largely related to tourism, ocean energy and recreation – the Commission fails to mention that the economic benefits generated by these sectors have a negative impact on biodiversity, fish stocks and ecosystems. Furthermore, the Commission heavily relies on tourism and recreation as the main sources of new jobs and growth, two sectors that are very much struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche declared: “Closing off parts of the ocean to fishing actually conflicts with fundamental Sustainable Development Goals such as increasing food security and reducing poverty – both of which require the use of the ocean. We are shocked to read that while fishing would be heavily restricted or closed in protected areas, offshore wind farms will be permitted and even prioritised. The Commission already tried in the past to convert the oceans into a mining extraction site and now wants to transform our seas into the new European energy engine”.  

Fishing industry representatives fear that the combined effect of Brexit, the expansion of offshore wind farms, 30% MPAs plus stronger environmental EU regulations such as Natura2000, could restrict access to traditional fishing grounds to the point that fishermen would have nowhere to fish.

By 2030 the world’s population is expected to top 8.5 billion with the same right for healthy and high quality food supply. According to Europêche, the Commission should focus on how to produce more seafood in a sustainable manner rather than further closing traditional fishing areas. The strategy, as it is, would reduce the productivity and force Europe to import more from 3^rd countries which are far from the European environmental and social standards. In light of the trade disruptions created by the COVID-19 crisis, the EU cannot risk further reduction of our fisheries in exchange for more seafood supply from overseas from an environmental, social and food security point of view.

The Commission proposes to phase out bottom trawling. The fishing industry rejects this proposal since it would prevent the use of one of the most common, certified, regulated and researched fishing gears in Europe. Bottom-trawling is the only viable way of fishing for key species such as sole, megrim, plaice, Greenland halibut, shrimps and nephrops which are fished at MSY levels.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, concluded: “Despite the recovery of the stocks and biodiversity, mitigation of environmental impacts and lower greenhouse emissions, the Commission refuses to acknowledge these achievements and uses fishing as the easy scapegoat to launch their environmental campaign. We want a real strategy with proportionate, rational and achievable objectives where all industries are treated on an equal footing, not an ill-founded proposal based on stereotypes. Therefore, we call on the European Parliament and Member States to stop this derailing train and send the proposal back to the Commission for full revision, so as to include the full cost of the policy in terms of impacts by the new users of space, intensification of fishing in limited space, reduction of fishing pressure and food production, elimination of trawling without a viable alternative and impact on exporting the environmental debt of the EU to developing countries. If the strategy is not changed, the Commissioner will fail to live up to his promise not to single out any of the pillars of sustainability – social, economic and environmental – during his mandate”.

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – EU Biodiversity Strategy

The investment made in recent decades to make fishing operations socially, economically and ecologically sustainable is a success story lead by the European Union. EU fishermen alert that this investment and the long term efforts of the fisheries involved are now under a direct threat, and in some cases already damaged by the uncontrolled development of offshore wind capacity. Namely, sustainable fishing activities require space as does the development and operation of offshore wind farms.

The EU therefore adopted back in 2014 a Directive for maritime and coastal spatial planning urging Member States to ensure that human activities at sea take place in an efficient, safe and sustainable way and reduce users’ conflicts. Nonetheless, the climate mitigation targets are vast, with the EU’s Paris Agreement nationally determined contribution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 1990. For this purpose, some countries are pushing to increase offshore wind power 40-fold by 2030 in Europe.

Therefore, the question ‘Can fisheries and wind farms co-exist?’ is a relevant but complex question which will become more pressing in the near future. As expressed by the host, Mr Peter van Dalen, this event was the kick start of a longer discussion. To trigger scientific based discussion, Mr Peter van Dalen was also recently appointed as Rapporteur of the Initiative report on the impact on Fisheries of Offshore Wind Farms (2019/2158(INI)) which is being prepared in 2020. Europêche fully endorses this Parliamentary Report as it provides the opportunity to assess existing gaps in the knowledge on the impact of wind farms on fisheries and biodiversity. As also pointed out by the scientists during the seminar, more research needs to take place as there is uncertainty surrounding the possible negative consequences and on how long it will take the ecosystem to recover.

According to Mr Job Schot, a Dutch fisherman: “We cannot see the benefits of wind farms at sea as we already see indicators of fish decline in areas where wind parks are built. Besides, the parks are always built on rich fishing grounds. It is clear that both activities cannot co-exist in the same area, but as fishermen, we do want to continue our livelihoods and keep on fishing for generations to come.” Mr Olivier Becquet, a French fisherman added: “The current expansion of offshore wind parks should not continue before research has come up with answers to the many knowledge gaps. Offshore wind is not climate neutral and poses risks to many species. We need to set our priorities on living and eating, as energy is comfort.”

Following the aforementioned, EU fishermen call on the European Parliament to support their call for a freeze on the development of offshore wind farm capacity, and prevent its extension into new areas, particularly in sustainably managed fishing grounds.

[1] And co-organised by Europêche, VisNed, EMK and Collectif Pêcheurs Artisans.

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Fisheries and Offshore Wind Farms