The pledge made by Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius at a gathering of ministers in Bruges to conduct a review of the Common Fisheries Policy to clear the way for his successor has been widely welcomed.
The Commissioner’s remarks were made at an informal meeting, at which he commented that his time as Commissioner is coming to an end.
‘I want to give my successor the best possible ground to start from. Therefore, I have asked my services to undertake a full evaluation of our Common Fisheries Policy Regulation. I believe that this will provide my successor with a solid basis to make the best informed decisions for the future of our fisheries and aquaculture sectors,’ he said, commenting that it has been a difficult mandate.
‘First of all, we started with Brexit, and of course we had to adapt to the new post-Brexit reality, where most of the fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic are now jointly managed with third countries. Then the pandemic. After that, the energy crisis and Russia’s war of aggression hit our sector. I am proud that we have provided swift support so that no one was left behind. In all cases, the Commission and the EU have been able to adapt and to deliver,’ Virginijus Sinkevičius said.
Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has been quick to welcome the commitment made by the Commissioner.
‘Brexit has been the most significant, and ongoing, challenge for our fisheries sector. I have consistently called for a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of Brexit on the functioning of the CFP, including the impact on EU and Member States’ fishing opportunities. I welcome Commissioner Sinkevičius’ commitment to carry out an evaluation of the CFP and look forward to engaging with the Commission on this important task,’ Charlie McConalogue said.
‘In order to identify solutions, we first need a clear picture of the challenges the EU seafood sector is facing. A full analysis of the impacts of Brexit will provide a clear view of our current challenges and help identify a pathway for future actions.’
Future challenges
‘During the last five years, fishers have faced multiple challenges of different nature. Their resilience and adaptability have been commendable,’ Commissioner Sinkevičius said.
‘The fisheries and aquaculture sector can only thrive if the profession is attractive enough and, most importantly, if people can make a living out of it. So, to secure the prosperity of the sector, we need to ensure three things. First, we will need to ensure that there is a generational renewal. Second, we need to make sure that competition across the sector is fair, both among fishers in the EU, between EU fishers and, of course, with fishers in third countries. Finally, we need to continue managing fish stocks sustainably. If there is no fish, unfortunately there is no future for the sector. The Common Fisheries Policy and our structural fund, the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, provide a strong basis to tackle these challenges.’
