EU fishers call for dedicated minister

Despite a general improvement in the state of fish stocks, Europêche, the voice of fishers across the EU, believes that food security has worsened in the past decade.

According to the European Market Observatory for Fishery and Aquaculture Products, ‘the EU’s self-sufficiency has been following a negative trend since 2018, which reflects both the downward trend of EU production and, even more, the increase of imports’.

From 2014 onwards when the Common Fisheries Policy came into force, the EU has shifted away from its self-sufficiency goal, says Europêche, instead focusing on marine renewable energy and environmental protection over food security.

The organisation used its presence at the ‘EU food sovereignty: the role of agriculture, fisheries and consumers’ conference organised by the European Economic and Social Committee to call for a dedicated Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs for 2024 – 2029, separate from environmental affairs, to champion food security.

“Fisheries, as an exclusive competence of the EU, merits its own political leader,” said Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche.

“The EU needs to return to a model where primary food production and self-sufficiency are true core principles.

“If anything, fisheries should be considered in conjunction with agriculture rather than environment, as both the Council of the EU and the Treaty of the EU collectively address them together,” he added.