The lack of flexibility and the complexity of the EU’s current Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are preventing the fishing sector from adapting to the challenges to come, the European Association of Fish Producers (EAPO) has warned.
At a recent stakeholder event hosted by the European Commission to take stock of the CFP, and recognising that Producers Organisations (POs) play a key role in assisting the fishermen in meeting the objectives of the policy, two EAPO members were invited to share their point of view.
They informed the gathering that the CFP’s lack of flexibility restricts the generational renewal, even limiting the retention of the existing crews, for the benefit of more attractive emerging sectors such as the windfarm sector.
Jérémie Souben, General Secretary of the French Association of Fish Producers Organisations (FEDOPA), highlighted the essential role that POs play in supporting the European fishermen during the recent crisis (Covid-19, Brexit, high fuel prices etc.) with measures such as the storage mechanisms and production and marketing plans.
At the same time, EAPO President Esben Sverdrup Jensen spoke at a panel on Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability about the ongoing crisis while strengthening fishing operators’ resilience for the years to come.
He drew attention to the complexity and suggested that today’s fishermen need to have a degree in law to understand the CFP.
Jensen pointed out the issues the CFP poses to the stability which fishing businesses need to thrive, namely Article 15 (landing obligation) and the choke species, understanding the hierarchy behind the different CFP objectives, the capacity constraint limiting the adaptation of the fleet to the new fuels and the improvement of the onboard working conditions.
In a statement, EAPO advised, “To make sure the future recovery of fish stocks across Europe is due to better management rather than because of the disappearance of European fisherman, it is essential to thoroughly review the CFP, fix the elements that are not in line with the objectives and remove structural barriers for decarbonisation of the European fishing fleets.”
EAPO represents 28 POs from nine EU member states with approximately 10,000 vessels, 3.5 million tonnes of landings with a €3 billion first sales value.
