Fishers are a cornerstone of seafood supply and food security in Europe. Still, they haven’t been prioritised in vaccination programs, exposing them to growing infection rates on fishing vessels and preventing the necessary crew changes around the world.

Unlike many other workers, fishers are limited in what they can do to avoid infection in their workplaces. The work of fishing crews takes place in confined spaces, where it is impossible to maintain physical distance and with the high risk of coronavirus transmissibility. Additionally, the often long periods of stay on board ships make it challenging to immunise them on the pre-established schedule for the general population. Europêche and ETF believe that this unique situation requires a special approach to vaccinations and call on Member States to develop new protocols at once.

“The fisheries sector has been recognised as an essential and strategic sector during the pandemic for its vital work in the supply of seafood and food security,” says Ment van der Zwan, Europêche Spokesperson in the European social dialogue. “To protect the supply, we need to protect the workers that support it and guarantee their speedy access to vaccines“.

The social partners have outlined a list of guidelines that can help states establish vaccination protocols for fishers in a way that responds to their specific working environments. They call for prioritisation of fishers in vaccination, coordination of vaccinations through national authorities, and, where possible, provision of single-dose vaccines for workers who remain on board for long periods. They also emphasise the need to establish a right to receive vaccination not only in the flag state but also in their country of residence and in port states.

“This vaccination must be available for all crews operating under European flagged vessels, whatever their nationality,” added Juan Manuel Trujillo Castillo, ETF Fisheries Section Chair. “This is common sense, particularly for the numerous fishing crews working on vessels that operate for weeks without returning to port.”

The social partners’ appeal aligns with the recent call of five UN agencies, encouraging governments to “give priority to fishers, seafarers and aircraft crews in their national vaccination programs.”

ETF and Europêche call on the European Commission to urge EU Member States to support the key workers of the fishing industry during the coronavirus crisis and prioritise their access to the vaccine to keep essential fishing operations running.

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche, rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

Andrea Albertazzi, Fisheries Policy Officer of ETF, a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org

EP and ETF Press Release – Fishers vaccination

In its proposal the European Commission has put forward the necessary legislative modifications to allow Member States more flexibility to reallocate and transfer unused financial means of their fisheries funds (EMFF) so it can be destined to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus where needed. The Commission also modifies EMFF-provisions to allow aid for those fleets forced to stay in the port due to quarantine measures, operational problems or market disruptions. Member States may apply this support with retroactive effect from 1^st February 2020. The Commission also reintroduces storage aid mechanisms for fish unsold due to the lack of market demand or extremely low prices, with a view to fostering the stabilisation of the markets.

While welcoming these fundamental changes, the Industry however would have liked to see a higher level of ambition regarding the measures proposed. In this context, Mr Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “We are facing a paradox: EU and national governments are encouraging our operators to continue fishing but, for the moment, they are not tabling any measure to compensate the loss of income faced by our companies due to the huge reduction of up to 50% of fish prices threatening their financial viability. It should be seen as fundamental that our fishermen continue to supply healthy food under these very difficult circumstances. Therefore, it is essential for them to receive a certain level of income compensation through the EMFF or other funds to make this possible.”

Pim Visser, President of EAPO commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic will have tremendous and unpredictable implications for the future of our industry. We appreciate the efforts and legislative changes made by the Commission to unlock and redistribute the existing funding possibilities. However, many countries have already spent or committed most of their available national funding under the EMFF. In addition, the market situation, once the public health crisis is under control, is expected to be very difficult. Therefore, extra-funding should be injected in the fisheries fund by the EU, in order for these measures to effectively cope with the crisis. We are just in the midst of a horrific storm and we do not know how long it will last.”

Javier Garat, concluded: “The fishing industry is a vital, sustainable and responsible sector, committed to continue fishing and maintaining food security. However, the fishing sector has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis. If we want to have a healthy fishing industry after the crisis we need additional funding and full flexibility in the interpretation and application of any new rules.”

Press contacts:

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

Emiel Brouckaert, Secretary General of EAPO: +32 59 43 20 05  info@eapo.com

EP and EAPO Press Release – COVID 19 EMFF