The Joint Euro-Moroccan Commission analysed the Court decision in depth, particularly the socio-economic consequences and trade disruptions that a possible fisheries partnership agreement annulment would bring about. All parties agreed on the positive role played by such agreement for both parties throughout the years, including the population of the Sahara, as well as its fundamental contribution to advance in the sustainable management of fishery resources. In this vein, the sector representatives considered crucial the continuation of a fisheries partnership between the EU-Morocco.

The meeting allowed industry representatives to review other major areas of common interest in which the EU and Morocco are working together, which include regional fisheries, governance and neighborhood policies.

The Joint Euro-Moroccan Commission announced a presential meeting early next year in Europe  where they plan to present a roadmap for 2022.

About the Joint EU-Moroccan Commission of Fishing Professionals

The Joint Euro-Moroccan Commission of Fisheries Professionals was created in February 2018 between the European fisheries organizations that are part of Europêche and by the Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Federation of Morocco (FPMA) in order to promote the business relations between both parties, propose measures to improve the fluidity of commercial exchanges and defend common interests. Since 2011 exists as well the Joint Spanish-Moroccan Commission of Fishing Professionals.

Press contacts: 

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

Commission Maroco-Européenne del Professionnels de la Pêche Press Release – Meeting

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

The Council of the EU will shortly approve a regulation setting autonomous tariff quotas (ATQs) for certain fishery products for the years 2021-2023. The ATQ regulation covers species such as tuna, Alaska pollack, cod, flatfish or shrimp for which a relatively high volume can be imported from non-EU countries at a reduced or zero-duty tariff. The fishing industry represented by Europêche and EAPO believe that ATQs are being used in many cases with the sole purpose of getting access to cheap and low-standard fish from foreign fleets which in turn puts pressure on EU producers’ prices and employment. Both organisations call on the EU Council of Ministers to reduce the amount of imported duty-free fish to at least levels set in the European Commission’s proposal¹.

Every two or three years, the EU revise the volume of fish for which custom duties are suspended or reduced, taking into consideration the utilisation rate, the need for a level playing field between EU and non-EU producers, value added and other trade preferences. Following a rather balanced proposal from the Commission, the Council of the EU is significantly increasing tariff quotas and even introducing new species that can benefit from tax derogations. This has not come as a surprise to the fishing industry since, from the beginning, there has been a constant trend to increase the amount of tons exempted from import duties in the EU. While in 1992, only 6 species representing 43,000 tons were granted reduced import duties, the EU will grant zero duty access to more than 20 species representing 810,000 tons, compared to 750,000 tons in the previous regulation.

The EU catching sector is not opposed to a rational tariff free setting for certain fishery products that are not sufficiently produced in the EU. However, in light of the negative socio-economic consequences of ATQs for the EU fishing industry, this instrument cannot be intended to foment imports from non-sustainable sources nor to put pressure on EU producers’ prices.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “The same story repeats revision after revision. The Council only listens to some EU processing companies that want to get access to cheap fish from non-EU countries regardless of the origin or way of production. The increases in volume of duty-free fish works to the detriment of EU producers who have to comply with the highest standards of sustainability. Why demanding so much to our fishermen when the EU opens a back door for non-EU products without even questioning their sustainability? Only yesterday, the Council committed to ensuring a fair income and strong support for primary producers under the farm to fork strategy. The new ATQ Regulation is therefore a step in the wrong direction. The EU should work towards achieving a true level playing field in practice, and not just on paper, between EU produced and third country produced seafood.

Mr Pim Visser, President of EAPO, declared: “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fishermen are facing extremely low prices and the quantities of unsold catches for certain species is rising. Already 60% of the fish consumed in the EU comes from outside our borders. Subsidising additional fish imports from non-EU countries would not only increase Union market’s dependence on fish imports but also put further pressure on prices and leave our companies out of business. Fishers feel abandoned by an EU that puts so much emphasis on the sustainability of EU products but so little on imported fish.”  

[1] Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION opening and providing for the management of autonomous Union tariff quotas for certain fishery products for the 2021-2023 period COM(2020) 322 final

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 – ATQs

Fishermen and women are guardians of the sea. Their activity directly relies on the good health of marine ecosystems and fish stocks. However, their traditional profession is in peril. According to a recent scientific study [2], the rise in offshore wind production projected in the EU will deploy large industrial structures at sea with far reaching consequences for the environment. The long term effects of a large rollout of offshore projects risk impairing the healthy functioning of the seas and their ecosystems as a result of negative cumulative effects [3]. According to the main EU fishing associations, Europêche and EAPO, the study not only overlooks these severe impacts but also the conclusions of the latest report from the Commission on the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), alerting that renewable energy production is one of the “main activities reported under the MSFD causing physical loss of benthic habitat”. The sector argues that the expected consequences represent a direct threat to the main goals of the Biodiversity Strategy, and the good environmental status of our waters and life within.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “Fishing communities will be the first ones to suffer from these serious environmental impacts, as commercial species and whole ecosystems are bound to be affected by the massive expansion of offshore wind farms. On top of that, our fishermen are continuously losing valuable fishing grounds and access to healthy stocks due to the growing use of marine space by new maritime activities and area closures for nature conservation”.

Europêche and EAPO unanimously ask policy makers: “Not to change fishers by windmills, adopt a precautionary approach and halt the current expansion of offshore wind parks until research has come up with answers to the many existing knowledge gaps”.

Pim Visser, President of EAPO, concluded “the most concerning is the “win-win” rhetoric developed in the study. The paradigm shift towards the industrialization of the sea as a source of renewable energy is at the expense of renewable food production, fishers, their families and their communities, without any sensible assessment”.

[1] Dupont, C., Herpers, F., & Le Visage, C. (2020). Recommendations for positive interactions between offshore wind farms and fisheries. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2826/017304  

[2] Boon, A., Caires, S., Wijnant, I. L., Verzijlbergh, R., Zijl, F., Schouten, J. J., & Kooten, T. (2018). The assessment of system effects of large-scale implementation of offshore wind in the southern North Sea. Deltares, 11202792-002-ZKS-0006

[3] Including local wind patterns, wave generation, tidal amplitudes, stratification of the water column, dynamics of suspended particles and bedload transport of sediment.

Press contacts:

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

Guillaume Carruel, Policy Officer EAPO: +32 59 43 20 05 | carruel@eapo.com | website: www.eapo.com

EP and EAPO Press Release – Offshore Windfarms study