Photo credits: European Union 2022

In a letter addressed to President von der Leyen, Europêche underscored two critical requests for the Commission President’s immediate attention. First, the sector appreciated her decision to appoint a dedicated Fisheries Commissioner for the upcoming term, emphasizing the need for a true balance between biodiversity conservation, a competitive fishing fleet, and food security. An equilibrium that was clearly lacking in the previous legislative term, according to Europêche.

Second, Europêche also called for enhanced focus on primary food production and food sovereignty, advocating for these issues to be elevated to the Vice-Presidency level within the Commission’s agenda and structure.

With Commissioner Sinkevičius set to assume a parliamentary seat following the recent European elections, Europêche highlighted the impending political gap in the Commission’s structure. The organization outlined two possible scenarios for addressing this vacancy: either leaving the position open until the new college of Commissioners takes office or appointing an interim Commissioner. In either case, Europêche urged that any interim leadership refrain from exercising provisional political mandates. Instead, the sector calls for institutional continuity and stability.

The letter to President von der Leyen voiced the fishing industry’s apprehensions regarding some of the decisions and actions taken by the outgoing Commissioner that may have been influenced by his candidacy for Parliament. For instance, in 2023, the Commissioner considered the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) fit for purpose. However, only a year later, during the election campaign, he called for a full evaluation with a view to revising the CFP. To prevent a recurrence of such issues, Europêche stresses that the EU should not grant political mandates during transitory regimes.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, emphasized the sensitivity of transitory political periods, stating, ‘During these interim times, it is crucial that decisions affecting our industry are made with institutional continuity and necessary democratic backing. We urge President von der Leyen to ensure that any interim arrangements prioritize stability over political interests.’

Europêche reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with the European Commission, pledging to support ongoing dialogue and collaboration in the lead-up to the new legislative term. 

Press contact: 

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche +32 489 26 81 07 daniel.voces@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Replacement Commissioner Sinkevicius

Preserving marine ecosystems is essential for sustainable fisheries. However, the current grouping of environment, oceans and fisheries under one portfolio within the Commission has failed to adequately address the balance between the pillars of sustainable development.

In recent years, fishers have confronted successive crises stemming from Brexit, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, with the rise in fuel prices and operating costs. Additionally, they faced significant challenges such as climate change, fleet decarbonization and the issue of generational renewal. On top of that, fishers had to put up with excessive EU regulations, unfair fishing area closures and unjustified fishing bans proposed by the Commission. As a result, the EU’s fleet size decreased by 28% over the past 20 years, and its seafood self-sufficiency has been declining since 2018. All while the EU continues to support seafood imports from third countries with increasing tax exemptions and many of these imports do not adhere to the same sustainability standards required of EU fishers.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: ‘Fishers provide one of the healthiest animal proteins with one of the smallest carbon footprints. They contribute to meeting the growing world demand for food. Fisheries is therefore a strategic sector for our society and one of the few exclusive competences of the EU. The EU must therefore prioritize support for its fishing sector to encourage the younger generation to enter this profession and to sustain rural coastal community areas. In this context, we appreciate von der Leyen’s political commitment to creating a stand-alone portfolio on fisheries in the next European Commission.’

He continued ‘A Commissioner for Fisheries is fundamental, but it is equally important to place food production and food sovereignty high in the Commission’s structure at the Vice-Presidency level. In a political reality where the reduction of dependencies from third countries is very high on the agenda, this only makes sense’.

According to Europêche, the EU should focus on developing balanced legislation and financing instruments that strongly support the fisheries sector in its transition towards carbon neutrality. For that purpose, in light of the ongoing evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy, the new Commission must conduct a comprehensive impact assessment of all fisheries policies stemming from the Green Deal at the start of the next mandate. Garat concluded: ‘While monitoring and reporting of fishing activities are necessary, the excessive administrative burden generated should be reduced and streamlined. Ambitious goals should be achieved through technological innovations, not bans.’

Press contact:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche | +32 489 26 81 07 | daniel.voces@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Von der Leyen Fisheries Commissioner

Europêche, the representative body for the European fishing industry, strongly criticizes the agreement reached yesterday evening by the Council and the European Parliament on the Nature Restoration Law. While Europêche recognizes the importance of protecting and restoring nature, the sector voiced several significant concerns about the Regulation that have been ignored by policy-makers. Some of the primary concerns include the complete absence of a cost-benefit assessment, the artificially broadened scope, which will result in more area closures, and the discriminatory treatment when compared to renewable energy. This law will only feed the already overwhelming bureaucracy and environmental ngo lobbies, but not the people in Europe. Europêche urges the Council and the Parliament to reject the political agreement.

One of the fundamental issues with this law is the absolute lack of a socio-economic impact assessment. As highlighted in the tables attached below, the Commission has failed to provide any concrete data on the “costs and benefits” that this new law is expected to generate for Member States, marine ecosystems and the fisheries sector. Instead, the legislation primarily relies on theoretical gains and potential undocumented benefits, which is not a solid basis for policymaking.

Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, stated: “The Regulation should only entry into force when the Commission provides robust and scientific data on the impact the new law will have on food availability and prices, company costs as well as fishing grounds affected. It is a real shame that in the end policymakers decided not to sustain this approach.”

In a publication, the Commission recognizes that under the EU Habitat Directive less than 2% of the European marine areas are in need of restoration. Only to contradict itself in the same document and propose to multiply by a factor of 10 the areas in need for restoration (20% of the seas) without any science-based justification. This threshold goes beyond the international target agreed in Kunming-Montreal (COP15 – CBD), putting once more the fishing fleet at competitive disadvantage. Consequently, according to Europêche, Member States will be spending time and millions of Euros in artificially identifying and restoring areas that are not in need of restoration. The sector will likewise suffer the consequences of uncalled additional area closures.

Another pressing concern is the lack of extra funding to support the implementation of the Regulation. The EU fishing sector is already under significant pressure to decarbonize, minimize its footprint and endure closures of traditional fishing grounds. Expecting fishers to achieve unrealistic targets with limited funding, especially in a challenging economic environment, is absurd and counterproductive. Mr Voces commented: “New legislative ambitions require adequate funding. The proposal does not guarantee the creation of a dedicated fund, without which, targets will be unattainable and the policy will fail. We should remember that fisheries is very particular in the use of funds and therefore this absence could not be covered by deviating funding from other areas.”

Europêche is equally concerned about the exemption for renewable energy industries from complying with some environmental law provisions. Mr Voces commented: “This approach is appalling, especially in light of the unresolved environmental concerns highlighted by the Court of Auditors, regarding offshore renewable energy. It also creates an unfair playing field for the fishing sector since both sectors are competing for the maritime space. Has the scope of the Regulation been broadened to cover up this exception? We call for an equal treatment of all blue economies.”

Once again, the EU is willing to limit its production of food without even considering the consequences, at home and abroad, of such decisions. For Europêche the troubled debate regarding the new environmental law made one thing clear. The EU needs to return to a model where all primary food production is placed under the mandate of a dedicated Commissioner and that needs to happen in the next mandate of the European Commission (2024-2029).

ANNEX

EP Press Release – Nature Restoration Political Agreement

According to the European Market Observatory for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), “the EU’s self-sufficiency has been following a negative trend since 2018, which reflects both the downward trend of EU production and, even more, the increase of imports. The highest level of self-sufficiency – 46% – was reached in 2014.” From 2014 onwards, which coincided with the entry into force of the Common Fisheries Policy adopted in 2013, the EU is shifting away from its self-sufficiency goal.

Mr Voces, managing director of Europêche, argued that “fishers have suffered tremendous socio-economic losses over the last decade due to hefty quota cuts with the promise that, once recovered, seafood production would multiply. The EU has moved from 5 stocks at sustainable levels (MSY – Maximum Sustainable Yield) in 2009 to 60 in 2022 and yet seafood production has decreased.” “Thus, the CFP is not delivering its objective to reduce seafood dependence”, he underlined.

Mr Voces regretted that, instead of trying to revert the situation, the EU is prioritising marine renewable energy and environmental protection over food security. While energy transition is important, it should never undermine healthy and sustainable food production. Likewise, the sector observes with concern how environmental policies are taking over fisheries management, which breaks the balance of the three pillars of sustainability (people, planet and profit). This has translated into more area closures and restrictions which, combined with external factors such as Brexit, high-energy prices and inflation, are decimating the fleet and food security.

Mr Voces concluded: “Perhaps the fact that fisheries and environmental policies have been placed under the mandate of the same Commissioner has not helped. Fisheries, as an exclusive competence of the EU, merits its own political leader. For the upcoming European Commission mandate (2024-2029), we firmly advocate for fisheries to be exclusively placed under the mandate of a dedicated Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. The EU needs to return to a model where primary food production and self-sufficiency are true core principles. If anything, fisheries should be considered in conjunction with agriculture rather than environment, as both the Council of the EU (AGRIFISH) and the Treaty of the EU collectively address them together.”

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Senior Policy Officer of Europêche: +32 2230 48 48 rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Food Security EESC Santiago

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

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 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

The new Director agreed with the fishing industry’s claim for better positioning fisheries in the EU Green Deal and in the Farm to Fork Strategy. While supportive of the Green Deal goals as such, Europêche and EAPO objected against setting unrealistic and very harmful objectives, such as fencing-off 30% of EU seas as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or phasing-out bottom trawling. The industry pointed in this context to the recent positive FAO report that shows that about 80% of the fish consumed worldwide comes from sustainable stocks. In the EU, according to the Commission’s latest communication, more than 99% of the landings in the Baltic, North Sea and the Atlantic managed exclusively by the EU will come from sustainably managed fisheries in 2020. The importance of seafood for a healthy, low carbon footprint diet was underlined and this meant that seafood should be promoted in the Farm to Fork strategy.

EAPO and Europêche reflected on the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis. Europêche president Javier Garat emphasised that: “We continue fishing through the crisis to provide sustainable healthy food to the consumers, but the drop in demand and prices has not recovered and the upcoming economic crisis will affect markets and our sector for a considerable time to come”. The mitigating measures taken by the Commission were welcomed by the industry and who pleaded for a rapid unlocking of €500 mln additional fisheries funds.

Other central topics were discussed such as the ongoing revision of the control regulation. EAPO and Europêche underlined the need for a simpler regulation with less administrative burden. Also the increased use of marine space by MPAs and windfarms led to the sector’s call for support of the Commission to guarantee continued fishing activities at sea for ensuring food security and supporting coastal communities across Europe.

Europêche and EAPO asked the European Commission to make life easier for fishermen since they have to face far too many regulations and bureaucracy of such complexity that hampers daily fishing operations. In this context, the fishing industry called on the Commission to be sensitive and as flexible as possible in the implementation of the newly adopted multi-annual plan for the western Mediterranean in a way that does not aggravate the socio-economic consequences caused by this pandemic. Furthermore, both organizations have proposed DG Mare to eliminate the regime of the autonomous tariff quotas (ATQ) for tuna loins at zero-duty tariff because it has been demonstrated that there is enough raw material available that this ATQ distorts the tuna market. In this sense, the sector also informed the new DG about the importance of guaranteeing the level playing field to ensure the competitiveness of the EU fleet.

On behalf of the industry, EAPO president, Pim Visser invited Ms. Vitcheva: “To visit one of our ports and see all the aspects of the food supply insured by the fishing industry”. Follow-up meetings to exchange views will also be welcomed.

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 (0)2 230 48 48 rosalie.tukker@europeche.org  

EP and EAPO Press Release – New Director General of DG MARE

According to the report, in 2018, total global capture fisheries production reached the highest level ever recorded at 96.4 million tonnes – an increase of 5.4% from the average of the previous three years. Catches of anchoveta by Peru and Chile accounted for most of the increase in catches. China’s catch rates have soared from almost 4 million tonnes in the 80’s to more than 15 million tonnes in 2018, representing 15% of global catches, being by far the major fish producer nowadays. The EU has had a stable fish production over the last two decades with an average of 5 million tonnes per year, representing 6% of the global catches.

In 2018, an estimated 39 million people were engaged in the primary sector of fisheries globally. Overall, the highest numbers of fishers are in Asia (85% of the world total), compared to a couple of hundred thousand fishermen in the European sector which has been suffering a significant employment reduction of 28% since 1995. Concerning the total number of fishing vessels, it was estimated to be 4.5 million, a 2.8% decrease from 2016. Asia continues to have the largest fleet with 3.1 million vessels, 68% of the global total, while the EU fishing fleet continues to shrink, numbering 83.000 vessels at present.

The majority of global fish stocks – 65.8% in 2017 – continue to be within biologically sustainable levels, almost 80% in the case of the North East Atlantic. In other words, and thanks to the good health of major species, almost 80% of the current global landings come from sustainable stocks.

Globally, 59.6% of the stocks are in fact maximally sustainably fished, an increase since 1989 due in part to what FAO highlights as improved implementation of management measures. However, the FAO warns that the fraction of fish stocks biologically unsustainable is increasing, particularly in fisheries with less-developed management mainly located in Southern Oceans. Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, commented: “We cannot agree more with the FAO that the perfect recipe for ocean conservation is more and better fisheries management. The uneven progress in different parts of the world calls for an urgent need to replicate and export successful EU policies to these areas. All governments need to step up efforts to ensure healthy and sustainable seafood systems that respect nature and biodiversity, such as in the EU”.

Global fish consumption rose from 9.0 kg per capita in 1961 to 20.3 kg in 2017, providing about 3.3 billion people with almost 20% of their average per capita intake of animal protein. This is mostly due to an increased availability across regions and countries, contributing to the food security and nutrition of the world population. In the EU, although a little bit higher than the global rate (24.35 kg per capita), EU citizens in 2017 ate half a kilo less compared to the previous year.

Daniel Voces, concluded: “We welcome the expansion of fish consumption worldwide. Our recommendation to EU citizens is to keep eating wild-caught fish since as highlighted by the FAO Director General, it is by far the healthiest and most environmentally friendly source of protein on earth. We more than ever need the support of EU and national authorities to promote the consumption of European seafood to help our fishermen overcome the Covid-19 crisis that has hit hard our sector”.

Press contacts:

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

EP Press Release – FAO SOFIA Report