While environmental NGOs are primarily calling for better enforcement of the rules adopted in 2013, professional fishing organisations want the European Commission to initiate a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), following publication of the report evaluating the regulation governing this policy on Thursday 30 April (see EUROPE 13860/14).
European fisheries ministers will debate the Commission’s evaluation of the CFP on Tuesday 5 May in the Cypriot capital, following a presentation by Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis.
Full and complete enforcement of European rules is essential to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness, its resilience and the EU’s food security, according to the NGO Oceana.
According to Oceana, the CFP reformed in 2013 “remains fit for purpose” and capable of meeting European priorities, but its impact is hampered by shortcomings in its implementation. “The CFP provides the right framework, but implementation has been uneven and, in many cases, too slow”, said Vera Coelho, Oceana’s executive director in Europe, calling on the European Union to enforce existing rules rather than rewrite them.
In the North-East Atlantic, the share of sustainably exploited stocks has risen from 54% to 69%. In the Mediterranean and Black Sea, this proportion has risen from 26% to 53%, although further efforts remain necessary. Economically, the European fisheries sector has seen its profitability improve following the reform, despite facing major shocks.
However, the NGO points to persistent shortcomings, particularly regarding the fight against overfishing, the alignment of fleet capacity with available resources, and the protection of the marine environment. The majority of the EU’s marine protected areas remain “paper parks”, where destructive practices such as bottom trawling continue, in direct contradiction to the European objective of protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030.
Oceana is also calling for mandatory information on the origin and catch conditions of all seafood products, including those served in restaurants, in order to combat illegal fishing and unsustainable practices.
Conversely, the industry organisation Europêche is calling for a targeted revision of the CFP, arguing that the current framework has failed to ensure the sector’s economic and social viability, despite the significant environmental efforts made by European fishermen. Europêche expressed its “disappointment” with a report that, in its view, presents an incomplete picture of a sector “in rapid decline” and offers no concrete solutions. The organisation criticises the Commission for primarily emphasising external factors - such as climate change, geopolitical tensions and market volatility - without sufficiently analysing the impact of European regulatory decisions.
According to Europêche, the European fleet has reduced its activity in EU waters by around 50% in recent years; yet, this has not translated into the expected increases in quotas, landings, employment or profitability. The assessment acknowledges a reduction in fishing pressure, but also notes a slow recovery of stocks, a decline in economic performance and persistent structural difficulties.
For Javier Garat, president of Europêche, the European fleet “is steadily losing ground, [...] increasingly replaced by foreign fleets and imports. As a result, Europe is losing fisheries’ strategic influence and autonomy”. He calls for an urgent simplification of a regulatory framework deemed “complex and cumbersome”.
The organisation specifically takes issue with the landing obligation, which it accuses of creating “choke species” situations, early fisheries closures and additional costs, without any significant improvements in selectivity. It also criticises spatial closures and certain environmental rules which it claims have reduced access to fishing grounds and increased operating costs.
Europêche nevertheless highlights the environmental progress achieved by the sector. More than 60 Atlantic stocks are reportedly now being fished at maximum sustainable yield, compared with just five in 2009. According to the FAO, almost 76% of assessed stocks in the North-East Atlantic are biologically sustainable.
In light of these findings, the organisation calls upon the European Commission, Member States and European Parliament to swiftly initiate a targeted review of the CFP, in order to rebalance its three pillars - environmental, economic and social - as well as to adapt fleet management, alleviate administrative burden and ensure a level playing field with third countries. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)