The EU needs to use the right tool for every job. Reformed a decade ago, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has been extremely efficient in rebuilding fish populations. Fish populations have been increasing significantly, with fish stocks reaching in 2018 abundance levels 50% higher than in 2010. Likewise, in 2020, the overall fishing pressure in the North East Atlantic bottomed at a record low. But the CFP is not and cannot be just a tool for fish stocks’ protection. It should be a broader policy encompassing objectives to solve the new geopolitical, climate and governance challenges. The reality is that the current CFP does not mention major societal concerns such as ‘climate change’, ‘Brexit’, ‘Green deal’ or ‘energy crisis’. It does neither address the impacts of the growing number of marine protected areas, the massive expansion of offshore renewable energy sites, food security and energy transition. Not to mention the need to reform ill-conceived policies such as the landing obligation or to address the missing social dimension of the CFP.  

Today, the European Commission has unveiled its long-awaited policy package consisting of 4 main documents: an evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy, an assessment of the common organization of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products, an Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries and a strategy for the energy transition of EU’s fisheries sector. In its thorough analysis, the Commission attempts to highlight those areas where more needs to be done or where the current situation requires more attention, in order to draw political conclusions and to prepare legislative proposals at a later stage.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche appreciated the effort made by the European Commission in analyzing the performance and effectiveness of the main EU fisheries policies. He stated: “Identifying the gaps and shortfalls of current policy tools is a necessary step to take the right decisions. We celebrate the success of the CFP in delivering sustainable fisheries. However, we are facing rapid changes and global challenges that require to activate the legislative machinery as a matter of urgency. The CFP is 40 years old and the latest reform dates back 10 years. In light of the huge developments of past few years, the priorities and tools of the current CFP are obsolete. It was designed for a scenario preceding the Covid pandemic, the energy crisis, Brexit and the recovery of EU fish stocks. Better implementation of outdated rules is not an option, a revision is a must.” 

As regards main fisheries trends, the EU is increasingly dependent on seafood products imported from 3^rd countries (70% of total EU-seafood consumption), while reducing its fishing capacity (20% of the fleet or otherwise said 20.000 fishing vessels less than in 2008) and losing access to fishing grounds in third countries. Garat commented: “Before triggering action plans that further reduce EU seafood production, the EU needs to have a strategic vision on future ocean governance and management. It feels like the Commission is putting the cart before the horses. He continued,  “We remind the Commissioner of his commitment to keep a balance between the 3 pillars of sustainability, not just the biological dimension, and to address gaps in the social dimension of the CFP. We would have expected strong action to develop fisheries policies in that direction, such as the redefinition of fishing capacity to enable the improvement of working conditions, safety and energy efficiency.” 

Europêche regrets the fact that, while showing no intention of reforming the CFP, the Commission is undermining this primary fisheries legislation by proposing secondary environmental legislation (e.g., the nature restoration law) and political action plans that have a huge impact on the activity governed by the CFP basic regulation. Garat concluded: “In fishing we have reached a point where protection is synonymous with exclusion. We must try to make environmental protection compatible with human activity and in particular with the much-needed production of (sea)food. Trying to convert our seas in marine sanctuaries would cost the world far more in deforestation and biodiversity loss than by fishing. Seafood is the healthiest and most environmentally friendly source of protein on earth. For that reason, Europêche fully subscribes the criticism as formulated by the European Bottom Fisheries Alliance (EBFA) regarding the objective to phase out bottom contacting gears, under the upcoming action plan”.

Press contacts: 

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

EP Press Release – CFP Package

The Council of Ministers agreed to cut by half the Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for herring in the Western part of the Baltic Sea and can only be caught now as by-catch. In the Central Baltic, the TAC was cut by 45%. Given the lack of progress in cod stocks, the Council has maintained a TAC only for by-catches, slashing by 88% the quota for Western cod. The catch limits for Salmon in the Main Basin have been reduced by 32%, although the TAC for salmon stocks in the Gulf of Finland saw a slight increase.

Despite the scientific advice recommending a quota increase for plaice and sprat, the European Commission proposed to maintain the TAC level unchanged. Ministers deviated from this approach and decided to increase the quota by 25% and 13% respectively. Peter Breckling, Deutscher Fischerei Verband (DFV), declared: “We welcome this Council’s decision which balances the socio-economic needs of our fishermen with the long-term sustainability of these fish stocks. More selective trawl gears are available which can certainly mitigate the impact on other species such as cod or herring. Plaice and sprat  are now vital for the survivability of our fishing companies”.

Europêche stresses that due to the significant reduction of the main target species Western cod and Western herring quota for several years, fishing companies and local associations face a very critical situation. Mr Breckling declared: “Without enough fish, the infrastructure of commercial fisheries cannot keep working on a viable economic level. Two local cooperatives in Germany already closed down. It is likely that others will follow and severe structural changes may occur. This should also be subject to responsible management”.

Europêche regrets, however, the misinformation campaigns on the state of the cod stock, claiming that this iconic species could be in danger of biological extinction in the Baltic Sea. What happens in reality is that in order to reach Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels, a targeted fishery is not possible, as in this case, to get the fish stock to healthy levels. Europêche argues that this has nothing to do with biological extinction. Moreover, before a marine fish stock can be biologically extinct, the fishing companies would go bankrupt.

Mr Breckling concluded: “After a significant fleet capacity reduction in all Baltic states and a fishery in line with scientific advice, it is really strange to blame ‘overfishing’ as the main driver for the present situation. At present, natural cod mortality is 3 to 4 times higher than fisheries mortality, meaning that the cod stock deterioration is largely driven by poor oxygen conditions, migration of its fish prey and high levels of parasite infestations caused by uncontrolled growing populations of seals. This also explains why despite the closure of Eastern Baltic cod in 2019 the stock did not react up till now. So there must be other reasons for reducing the productivity of the ecosystem at the moment which should be addressed, yet fishermen always pay the price”.

Press contacts: 

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

EP Press Release – Baltic Fishing Opportunities

The pioneering Mediterranean MAP regulates key demersal fish stocks through a fishing effort regime combined with closure areas. EU legislators also agreed that Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels shall be achieved on a progressive basis by 2025 in consideration of the socio-economic impact a faster achievement may have.

The sector recalls that an effective implementation of the MAP requires better understanding the state of demersal stocks, including juveniles and spawners. For that reason, Europêche reminds that before proposing further measures or even considering fishing effort cuts, it is fundamental to assess the effects of the restrictions recently put in place by the Mediterranean MAP.

The sector also alerts on the socio-economic consequences of the second COVID-19 wave. According to Europêche, the pandemic is putting to the test European economies that see once again in many countries the closure of HORECA channels, lack of tourism, extremely low fish prices and health problems. This is causing a major impact in the income of fishermen and it does not seem likely to improve in the short or medium-term, particularly in the Mediterranean.

Under these exceptional circumstances, Europêche calls on the European Commission to be sensitive and as flexible as possible in the implementation of the newly adopted MAP in a way that does not aggravate the socio-economic consequences caused by this pandemic.

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche, declared: “The sector scrupulously complied with the area closures and the target of reducing fishing effort by 10 % during the first year of implementation of the plan. Certain trawl fleets in Spain even reached reduction levels above 20%. Now, we hear that the European Commission is considering to further cut fishing effort in 2021 for EU trawlers operating in the Western Mediterranean by 15%, disregarding the flexibility to achieve MSY levels by 2025. This would definitely put a final nail in the coffin of many fishermen in the Mediterranean. Our fishermen more than ever need to keep working to overcome the catastrophic socio-economic consequences brought about by this horrible pandemic.”

Press contacts:

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

EP Press Release – Mediterranean MAP

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 STECF is the European Commission’s scientific body which provides independent scientific advice for the conservation and management of living marine resources, including biological, economic, environmental, social and technical considerations. This allows policy-makers to build their decisions based on solid science evidence, better understand the health of a stock, determine how much can be fished, and closely monitor the implementation of the CFP.

The STECF report evidences overall positive trends for many fish stocks in the ecoregions across Europe. This is clearly confirmed by the fact that in the North-East Atlantic the proportion of overexploited stocks was reduced almost by half if compared with 2007 figures (p. 26). The proportion of stocks outside safe biological limits shows a similar downward trend under the same period (p. 28). The good news in these waters do not end here, as recruitment figures show that the number of young fish entering the stocks is consistently increasing since 2012, which may explain the increase in stock’s production. However, Europêche notes that the latter figure should be treated with caution since it may not reflect the reality of certain fish species largely impacted by environmental factors.

Managing Director, Daniel Voces, declared: “The news on sustainable fisheries is unequivocally good.  The majority of fish stocks in the North-East Atlantic are healthy and thriving. That’s thanks to many years of sacrifices being made by the EU fishing fleets and intensive collaboration with scientists and public authorities to improve fishing practices and fisheries management. Overfishing in the EU is at an all-time low”.

Europêche regrets that radical environmental NGOs keep on launching gloom and doom studies trying to proof how horrible things are in European waters by analysing the number of fish stocks or tonnes overfished in the past. Mr Voces reacted: “It really upsets the industry that some NGOs do not recognise the good progress made in the past 20 years. It frustrates the efforts of our companies that invest in sustainable practices and want to do things better. It generates an ambience of mistrusts, jeopardising the collaboration of the industry with scientists, governments and NGOs”. He continued: “It also confuses consumers that, because of aggressive campaigns from these organisations, may think that the oceans and fish stocks are in a dire situation and that consuming fish would contribute to harm the environment, when it is totally the opposite. The reality is that in the last 10-20 years no industry has made so many efforts and commitment towards sustainability like the European fishing industry”.

Europêche argues that part of the problem lies with the fact that the main EU fisheries law introduces targets and objectives which go against scientific advice and the fisheries reality. In this sense, even though scientists acknowledge that it is not possible to achieve MSY levels for all stocks at the same time, this is an actual objective of the CFP.

Mr Voces concluded: “Incredible accomplishments to achieve sustainability in our waters have been made in a record time, to the point that almost 100% of the landings from EU-regulated stocks come from catches fished at the MSY levels. However, the introduction of unachievable policy objectives in the CFP, reform after reform, unfairly gives the impression to citizens and consumers that the fishing industry is not sustainable. Policies need to be ambitious but rational at the same time”.

In the Mediterranean, many populations remain overfished due to inadequate fishing pressure levels which peaked in 2011. Europêche is nevertheless convinced that the new plan for the Mediterranean will deliver an important contribution towards better conservation and sustainable exploitation of fish stocks.

¹ Monitoring the performance of the Common Fisheries Policy (STECF-Adhoc-20-01)

* The STECF graphs below illustrate the significant reduction of fishing pressure (F/F_MSY), increase of biomass (B/B₂₀₀₃) and recruitment (R/R₂₀₀₃) in the North East Atlantic (NEA).

Figure 1: Trends in the indicators of stock biomass (median values of the model-based estimates relative to 2003). Three indicators are presented: one for the NE Atlantic (53 stocks considered, blue line); one for the Mediterranean & Black Seas (41 stocks, black line); and one for data limited stocks (ICES category 3, 73 stocks, green line) (p.8).

Figure 2: Trend in F/FMSY (based on 46 stocks). The figure shows the indicator values since 2016 close to 1, which means that over all stocks, on average, the exploitation levels are close to FMSY. Dark grey zone shows the 50% confidence interval; the light grey zone shows the 95% confidence interval (p. 32).

Figure 3: Trend in decadal recruitment scaled to 2003 in the Northeast Atlantic area (based on 53 stocks) (p.8).

Press contact:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 (0)2 230 48 48

EP Press Release – STECF Report