Op-ed: Common fisheries policy needs reform to meet fishers’ emerging challenges

The Committee on Fisheries must strike a balance between tackling environmental and socio-economic obstacles to ensure a thriving and resilient future for the European fishing industry.

By Carmen Crespo Díaz

MEP Carmen Crespo Díaz (EPP, ES)?is chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH).

12 Nov 2024

@CarmenCrespoPP

The top priority of the Committee on Fisheries (PESH) will be to begin work on a legislation revision of the common fisheries policy (CFP), which is one of the most wide-ranging policies in the EU framework, but still requires reform to address the needs of European fishers better.  

The CFP integrates various aspects of fisheries management and aims to create a balanced and sustainable approach that benefits both European fishers and the communities they support, as well as the resilience of fish stocks and the marine environment.  

Striking a balance between environmental and socio-economic consequences is a very sensitive task. The fishing sector might feel that over the past years that EU regulation has leaned too heavily towards environmental aspects. It will be our task during this mandate to analyse and redress any such imbalance.  

Fishers, the processing industry and the aquaculture sector are facing many challenges: rising fuel prices, old fishing vessels, a gap in generational renewal, unfair competition from imported seafood products, and the increasing impact of climate change on fish stocks with the onset of invasive species. A legislative revision of the CFP is necessary to tackle these challenges.  

Decarbonising the fisheries sector will involve adopting energy-efficient technologies and practices, which will also enhance the economic viability of the small-scale fleet and coastal communities. Improving market access, providing financial support and promoting value-added products to enhance the profitability of small-scale fisheries will all contribute to this aim.  

A large majority of fishing vessels in Europe are over 30 years old, have outdated engines, and often lack comfort for the fishermen on board. We must support investment in new vessels, with less polluting engines and better comfort and safety on board. The EU must allow public funds to be committed to this purpose: the fishers themselves do not have the means, nor can they easily obtain a bank loan.   

Negotiating post-2026 fishing relations with the UK will not be smooth sailing but is important: It will determine access to fishing waters and quotas, affecting the economic stability of the fisheries sector in many EU coastal regions.  

PECH will continue to scrutinise our many sustainable fisheries partnership agreements with countries in Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, but also with our northern neighbours sharing Atlantic waters. As always, the relentless fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing will be high on the agenda, and we are happy to see that over the past term many international partners have joined us to successfully tackle illegal fishing practices.   

Despite the many tough challenges ahead, the EU’s fishing industry has the potential to be more profitable and create more jobs. Our focus should be on maintaining abundant fish stocks, with many fishers in the oceans successfully harvesting them. By addressing these challenges through comprehensive and co-ordinated legislative efforts, we can ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for the European fishing industry.