Governments across the globe and its industries are looking for solutions that can help lower their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. While the fishing sector’s emissions constitute a minor fraction, accounting for only 0.1% to 0.5% of global GHG emissions in 2023, Europêche acknowledges the industry’s responsibility in minimising its impact. The sector has already achieved significant progress, with emissions from the EU fisheries sector being reduced by 50% since 1990.

In the path towards decarbonisation, Europêche highlights the progress made by fishers in investing in selective fishing gears and reducing seabed contact, resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions. EU vessels are increasingly adopting diesel-electric engines, efficient propellers and refrigeration systems, while actively participating in circular economy schemes. These efforts exemplify the industry’s dedication to embracing low-impact practices.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “The fishing sector is a key component of our society and an example to be followed. Fishers are at the forefront of the combat against climate change as providers of one of the healthiest animal proteins with a minimal carbon footprint. The EU fleet has been making progress on the path to climate neutrality since 1990. This should be the baseline year for the reduction of emissions for capture fisheries to recognise the efforts made by the sector”.

Europêche recognises though that the transition to alternative energy sources presents challenges, as certain technologies, such as hydrogen storage, require four times more space on board compared to traditional fuel oil. Given the fact that the EU fishing sector faces capacity restrictions concerning gross tonnage (space on board), impeding the installation of green technologies, Europêche advocates for adapting the definition of fishing capacity in Europe to enable fleet modernisation.

Europêche emphasises the necessity for institutional support and targeted financing to realize these ambitious goals. However, the EU fisheries fund is insufficient to cover the associated costs. Europêche encourages exploring additional sources of financing, such as the European Investment Bank, the creation of a new funds or simply revising the new fisheries fund (EMFAF). Furthermore, with the average age of the European fleet being 31.5 years, fleet renewal plans are imperative to facilitate the transition to a modern fishery. According to Europêche, changing the engine is neither sufficient nor feasible on such old vessels.

Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, concluded: “Achieving a complete decarbonisation of the sector necessitates a comprehensive approach that includes zero-emission energy sources, vessel modernisation, improved gear design and composition, reduced time spent at sea and a careful analysis of energy consumption per kilo of fish landed. This transition should not jeopardise the fishing industry’s continued contribution to sustainable EU food production and therefore requires a realistic timeline aligned with technological advancements, logistical considerations, and supportive legislation. Engaging all stakeholders within the supply chain and developing necessary infrastructures are also vital components of the process”.

Press contacts:

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

EP Pres Release – Decarbonisation

During the meeting, the Commissioner reiterated his commitment to make fisheries sustainable in Europe, zero tolerance towards IUU fishing, tackle pollution, preserve the biodiversity and also the profitability of the fisheries sector. Social Partners welcomed Sinkevicius’ objective to decarbonize and modernize the sector without increasing capacity. He stressed that the intention of the Commission is not to revise the CFP but to implement policies better for the sake of stability and predictability for the sector.

“We sent a clear message to the Commissioner” said Juan Manuel Trujillo, ETF Fisheries Section President “we are 100% in favour of sustainable fisheries and we support the Commission in its zero tolerance against illegal fishing. However, the CFP must be based on three pillars – environmental, social and economic sustainability – that should be treated on an equal footing. That is why the Commission shall always do a thoughtful and proper socio-economic impact assessment before taking any preservation measure and, if necessary, shape the policies taking into account the outcome of such potential negative socio-economic consequences”.

“What we observe” he continued “is that the sector and the workers are dramatically impacted by the decisions taken by the Commission disproportionately closing areas to fishing, proposing to include perfectly regulated species in CITES and proposing fishing activity reductions in areas like the Mediterranean to the point that is sentencing the sector to disappear. The voice of fishermen is not sufficiently heard”, he concluded.

Ment van der Zwan, Europêche spokesperson for social affairs, declared: “The EU must clearly reduce its dependency on imported energy and food alike. For that reason, it should cherish its fishers and protect their lives and livelihood. There is a lot to gain in that respect. I hope the Commissioner listened and act upon, despite not recognising these issues afterwards on a message published on twitter”. He continued: “The Commission often talks about the protection of fish but little about the protection of fishers. In fact, the CFP is increasingly linked to environmental legislation[1] and poorly linked to social and safety objectives. To attract new generations to our sector we need the EU to adopt fisheries policies that provide legal security, stability and enhance the competitiveness of fisheries enterprises. Until we reach that point, we will be unable to make this job attractive”.

The Social Partners welcome the Commissioner’s open dialogue with the EU Social Dialogue Committee for Sea Fisheries and recognition of its unique role in addressing the social dimension of the CFP.

[1] E.g., Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems, Biodiversity strategy and the Nature Restauration Law.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Europêche Managing Director (+32.2.230.48.48 or daniel.voces@europeche.org)

 Andrea Albertazzi, ETF Fisheries Policy Officer (+32.470.93.05.89 or a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org)

SSDC Press Release – Commissioner Sinkevicius

The European Commission recently published a legislative package for state aid measures and financial compensation under the new Fisheries Fund (EMFAF) to support the fishing sector following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia. The EU fishing industry has thanked Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, for the quick call for a second meeting to take stock on the measures adopted. At the meeting, the sector represented by Europêche and EAPO, agreed with the Commissioner on the need for speedy and flexible implementation of the provisions in the Member States as well as for the approval of some additional measures under the current Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The EU fishing industry has appreciated the quick action from the Commission adopting emergency measures to try to mitigate the adverse effects of those who are being directly threatened by the energy crisis and to calm the tension in our fish markets.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “The sector certainly welcomes the European Commission’s rapid action to unlock funding so that Member States can provide as a matter of urgency financial aid to our fishermen. Given the fact that governments are reacting differently to the situation and adopting measures at a different pace and extent, it is now fundamental that the Commission pushes national authorities to quickly put in place these authorised measures and reduce red tape to guarantee a level playing field. Equally important is to produce as soon as possible a guidance document for Member States to better understand whether different aid schemes can be cumulated. Certainly our fishers need all the support they can get”.

The sector recalled that the priority for fishers is to continue fishing, supplying seafood and maintain the employment. However, under these exceptional circumstances, even with the financial aid, some companies will not be able to fish. It is therefore important to help fishers who have to temporarily cease their activities, given the fact that in many cases aid will only arrive months later. The industry argued that this also reinforces the point that the ceiling for state aid per fishing vessel under the temporary framework should be raised, since this type of support can reach companies in a matter of weeks.

Esben Sverdrup-Jensen, President of EAPO, concluded: “Fishing vessels have been in port for a long time and the fish seasons for certain species will be over soon, for instance blue whiting. To tackle the situation we need to provide fishers the option to carry over more than the existing 10% of their fishing quotas to next year. After all this is a key free-of-charge measure that was already put in place back in 2015 with the Russian invasion to Crimea. This will secure employment and income. We need to prepare for every future scenario”. He continued: “We welcome the Commission’s commitment to analyse the situation on a case-by-case basis based on quota consumption. We support the request of an ICES advice for the affected fish stocks to analyse the feasibility of quota banking. It is in everybody’s interest to secure the sustainability of the fish populations”.

The sector also appreciated Commissioner Sinkevicius’ announcement that his services are working on the amendment of the current EMFF (2014-2020) to fully utilize the fund and to unlock the remaining unused 1 billion Euros to help the sector.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, 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 – State Aid

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

The European social partners in the sea fisheries sector concluded back in 2012 an agreement on the implementation of the ILO C188, which triggered its transposition into EU law through an EU Directive (Directive 2017/159). The EU Law provides worldwide access to decent working and living conditions for fishermen aboard EU vessels. However, the sector recalls that in order to create an international level playing field, it is equally important to ratify the C188, for which the number of signing countries remain insufficient, also at European level.

Cor Blonk, Chair of the European Sea Fisheries Social Dialogue Committee: “At present, only 18 countries worldwide have ratified the ILO C188, 7 of which are EU Member States. If we compare this with the equivalent for merchant shipping, we see that 97 countries have ratified the Maritime Labour Convention, including 25 out of the 27 EU Member States”. Given the aforementioned, ETF and Europêche believed it is high time to address the practical dimension and concrete challenges on the ratification of the Convention with the aid of the valuable expertise of the invited panellists.

In this sense, Juan Manuel Trujillo, President of the European Transport Workers’ Federation Fisheries Section, declared: “It is fundamental for EU Member States to ratify the ILO C188 as it would align the legislation on decent work to a common level and with the EU Directive. Consequently, fishers’ wages and working conditions would be protected and couldn’t be used to compensate for the ever more pressing global competition between fishing companies and fleets. Above all, it would encourage third countries which have a relevant share of the fishing sector and more problems when it comes to the protection of fishers’ rights to do the same”.

Ment van der Zwan, employers’ spokesman in the EU social dialogue committee on sea-fisheries, concurred: “There is urgent need to ratify the ILO C188 to ensure a level playing field and fair competition among fishing companies across the world, especially considering the strong international dimension of the fishing sector. Even more when the EU equivalent law does not cover in its integrity self-employed fishermen given the limited EU competence on this field. Therefore, transposing the Directive is a huge step forward but not enough, and should go hand in hand with the ratification of ILO C188”.

The ILO representative, Mr Brandt Wagner, gave a comprehensive overview on the origin and history of the C188 stressing the fundamental importance of its ratification. The European Commission outlined where the EU Directive adds or varies from the provisions of the Convention, and highlighted how the current status of the implementation in EU Member States showcases the need for further promotion and facilitation of the Convention and linkage with the Directive.

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 – Social Partners C188 Webinar

The board of Europêche will remain at the head of the organization for the next two years to defend the interests of fishermen and fishing-vessel owners before the European institutions. Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “I am grateful for the trust that the members of Europêche have placed in the management team and for the recognition of the work done in the defence of a sustainable fishing activity, both from an environmental and a socio-economic perspective”. He continued: “Now more than ever, the European fishing industry must stand united to deal with common threats such as the Covid pandemic, Brexit or climate change. We are ready to face these challenges together and our commitment is to stand behind our companies and boost their competitiveness within a level playing field to lead EU’s economic recovery”.

During the next term, Europêche will promote a new narrative to turn fisheries from a problem into a solution, showcasing that fish food security can go hand in hand with the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity. According to Europêche, scientific data has shown that the majority of fish stocks in the Atlantic have recovered in a record time and that overfishing in the EU is at an all-time low. In addition, the sector has done its homework by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40%. This, coupled with the fact that wild-caught fish has one of the lowest environmental footprint, the fishing sector is placed in the front-running position to achieve the targets of the EU Green Deal and combat climate change.

Europêche also aims to place the human element of the sector, fishermen, at the core of EU fisheries policies and their recognition as guardians of the sea through their fight against marine litter. 

Likewise, Europêche will continue to work on the revision of the Fisheries Control System and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which must be modernised and simplified to meet the needs of the industry and avoid current excessive bureaucracy. Other central policy actions such as strengthening the external dimension of the CFP, creating a level playing field in the EU market, revising the landing obligation or securing abundant fishing opportunities for the fleet, will play an important role in Europêche’s agenda.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32.2.230.48.48 daniel.voces@europeche.org  

EP Press Release – Europêche Elections