The European Commission’s 2026 proposals for Mediterranean fishing opportunities represent some of the most severe cuts ever imposed and risk dismantling an entire sector, while putting at stake thousands of jobs, family livelihoods and the socio-economic fabric of coastal communities across the region, according to the European Social Partners in Fisheries.
‘Fishers have done and are doing their part – modernising fleets, innovative and adaptive fishing methods and complying with strict closures and reductions,’ the Social Partners state.
‘Now it is time for the EU to fulfill its responsibility – protecting the women and men who feed Europe, and preserving the communities that depend on the sea. It is an SOS call for the Mediterranean fisheries sector.’
They anticipate up to –65% fewer fishing days for trawlers in France and Spain and –64% fewer for the Italian fleet, with a baseline of 9.6 days per vessel per year, if no compensatory measures are applied. Alongside these cust are stringent new restrictions on hake longliners, limits on deep-water shrimp catches and additional restrictive fishing calendars in key areas.
‘These cuts come despite the already significant sacrifices made by fishers to rebuild stocks. These efforts have been acknowledged in the FAO–GFCM’s State of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (2025), which notes significant improvements and fish populations increase in several stocks,’ a representative of the Social Partners commented.
‘Yet, instead of consolidating this progress through balanced, predictable, and socially just measures, the Commission proposes a package that the sector widely considers economically unsustainable. Even with the Commission’s proposed compensation scheme to recover fishing days through additional conservation measures, the impact in regions such as Catalonia, the Western Mediterranean, and the Strait of Sicily, would be severe and disproportionate. According to the social partners, the proposed package is not in line with the latest scientific advice.’
The Social Partners point out that despite constantly being referred to as the model to follow, the European Commission’s proposal lacks a genuinely holistic approach as other relevant environmental stressors – rising temperatures and marine acidification – and human activities that affect fish stocks are disregarded – with apparently apportioned exclusively to the fishing sector.
The European Social Partners are requesting clear answers from the European Commission starting with the question of whether the measures drafted for 2026 have been accompanied by a socioeconomic study assessing their potential impacts on workers and businesses, and how to address them?
‘How can the EU, in a phase where competitiveness and food sovereignty are declared priorities, continue disregarding the future of Mediterranean fishers?’ the Social Partners ask. ‘Fishers provide fresh, local protein and contribute to Europe’s maritime economy and strategic food autonomy. These proposals undermine that mission.’
There is also the question of why did the Commission not propose changes, knowing that this scenario would repeat itself.
‘If no other proposal was possible because of the multiannual plan, why did the Commission not put forward the necessary changes in advance? For the second consecutive year, fishing vessel owners and fishers face an identical crisis without structural solutions,’ the Social Partners want to know.
‘Are compensatory measures truly feasible across all regions? While the proposal allows the recovery of some days through selective gear or new closures, this is not possible everywhere. What will happen to the sector in those regions?’
The European Social Partners in Fisheries warn that these reductions amount to an invitation to push companies and workers out of the sector, accelerating a process already visible in many coastal areas where young people are leaving the profession and communities are losing their economic base.
‘The European Social Partners urge the Commission and EU Fisheries Ministers, who will negotiate the final package on 11–12 December, to adopt a balanced, realistic and socially sustainable approach,’ the Social Partners representative stated.
