Europêche, the European organisation representing the fisheries sector, on Tuesday 30 June welcomed the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific study challenging the widely held idea that small-scale fisheries are inherently more sustainable than large-scale fleets.
According to the study (https://aeur.eu/f/mnx ), there is no evidence to support the claim that sustainability depends on vessel size. The study underlines that both small and large-scale fisheries can contribute positively to sustainable seafood production when supported by sound management frameworks. Conversely, poor environmental and socioeconomic performance can occur across fleets of all sizes where governance is inadequate.
For Europêche, these findings reinforce the need for an evidence-based approach to policy-making. “This paper confirms that [...] sustainability is determined by how fisheries are managed, not by the size of the vessel,” said Javier Garat, president of the organisation. He added that European fisheries are among the best regulated in the world, with strict catch limits, technical measures, control systems and scientific advice. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)