Small-scale and coastal fishing people across Europe continue to sign the letter from LIFE Platform to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, setting out the need for a reset in the way fisheries are managed – towards greater support for the small-scale sector.
‘The EU can encourage the restoration of degraded marine ecosystems by supporting small-scale fishers who produce the greatest benefits for both society and the environment,’ a LIFE Platform representative stated.
‘The Commission should redirect public money spent on harmful capacity-enhancing subsidies for larger-scale, high-impact fishing to the small-scale fishers whose practices support all types of life involved.’
LIFE’s letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius states that ‘the failure to address equity in European fisheries policies has led to missed opportunities to deal with environmental degradation, economic disparities, and social injustices,’ and that ‘the sector has been starved of fishing opportunities and sectoral support over decades, impacting the overall resilience of European fishing communities.’
LIFE states that prioritising and providing policy support to low-impact, small-scale fisheries could play a key role in addressing Europe’s overfishing, preserving marine biodiversity, reducing the fishing industry’s carbon footprint, and tackling socio-economic challenges in the maritime sector.
The key to unleashing the potential of small-scale fisheries is Article 17 of the CFP , which has remained dormant for the past decade.
‘By applying transparent and objective criteria of an environmental, social and economic nature to the allocation of fishing opportunities, the full application of Article 17 would reward sustainable practices and encourage a shift to low-impact fishing,’ LIFE’s representative states.
‘We are calling on the Commission to establish a detailed and binding implementation plan for Article 17 along with clear guidelines on how to develop and apply transparent and objective criteria to reward sustainable fishing practices and protect ecosystems and local communities.’
In addition, LIFE is demanding an end to harmful subsidies and a prioritisation of small-scale, low-impact fishing activities.
‘The actions we are asking you to implement have become not only environmental but also socio-economic imperatives. The European Commission must urgently rethink fisheries management to drive a just transition away from an extractive industry supporting high-impact, large-scale fishing, towards one that champions the role of low-impact, small-scale fishers as guardians of the ocean.’
