A high-level meeting has taken place during which Europêche, representing the European fishing sector, was able to raise a number of critical issues with Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič and Member States’ officials. This takes place at a key juncture, during a period of political transition within the EU.
After congratulating Vice President Šefčovič on his nomination as Commissioner-Designate for Trade, Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, Europêche stressed the need to elevate fisheries and food production on the Commission’s agenda, including trade.
‘We see this new legislative term as a window of opportunity or an ‘era of hope,’ given that both the Commission’s structure and mandate prioritize food production and sovereignty. That said, we are disappointed by recent decisions regarding anchovy quotas and the Parliament’s refusal to revise and introduce greater flexibility into fisheries multiannual plans,’ said Europêche president Javier Garat.
‘We expect words to be swiftly followed by action, ensuring a viable future for our fishers. Europêche remains committed to working closely with all European institutions to enhance the sustainability of our fisheries, including the socio and economic dimensions.’
Discussion touched on the EU’s dialogue with Norway, with Europêche expressing appreciation for the Commission’s inclusion of fisheries in broader diplomatic talks. Both sides took stock of the situation and will closely monitor Norway’s actions in the coming months.
Europêche encouraged the Commission to take a firm stance against the uncooperative and irresponsible practices from Norway, including the unilateral setting of excessive mackerel quotas and cod quota grabs. The sector has welcomed the Commission’s legislative proposal that will better enable the EU to take more concrete measures against unsustainable fishing practices by non-EU countries and reinforce the process of cooperation.
Europêche voiced its appreciation the Commission’s efforts in defending European quotas for tropical tunas but raised concerns over the growing gap in the level playing field between European and the others, deeply affecting their competitiveness in the Atlantic Ocean. Vessels under non-EU ownership are either not required to abide by, either fail to respect the temporary closure (FAD moratorium), exacerbating the challenges faced by European purse seiners. In this context, and given the fact that tuna stocks are in good health, Europêche would like to see the deletion or reduction of the FAD moratorium to one month to prevent the collapse of the EU purse seine fleet, as vessels and catches have already plunged by 40% since 2016.
Balanced fishing opportunities for 2025
While acknowledging significant progress toward more sustainable fisheries in the EU, particularly in the Northeast Atlantic, reported by the European Commission, Europêche pointed out that the Commission’s positive outlook is not translating into higher quotas.
The industry viewpoint is that the Commission’s interpretation of scientific advice remains overly precautionary, excessively cutting quotasin a way that fails to align with fishers’ observations at sea. Europêche called for improved scientific quality assurance and a balanced approach considering socio-economic factors and food security.
Under the new Commission’s political programme, putting the emphasis on food sovereignty, resilience and competitiveness, more balanced proposals for fishing opportunities had been anticipated. But Europêche expressed its serious concern and disappointment over the heavy cuts proposed for many species, including anchovy in Iberian waters – and called on the Commission for more flexibility and a 10% increase for cod stocks in the North Sea.
The meeting also addressed ongoing challenges in the Mediterranean. Europêche highlighted the negative socio-economic impact of the dedicated multiannual plan, namely a heavy 40% reduction in fishing days, area closures and gear restrictions in the last four years. Europêche requested a full evaluation of the measures before taking further drastic reductions.
Referring to the Baltic, Europêche representatives stressed that further reductions in bycatch quotas appear to be more symbolic than effective, as current quotas are already minimal. Instead, the focus must be on improving scientific data and addressing the environmental issues affecting these ecosystems.
