Europêche, the representative body of Europe’s fishing industry, has raised serious concerns over the growing loss of traditional fishing grounds due to increasing maritime spatial pressures.
Speaking during the European Commission’s Implementation Dialogue on the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Directive, Europeche warned that fisheries are being pushed aside by the rapid expansion of offshore wind farms, marine protected areas and other competing uses of marine space.
“Fishing is the only blue economy sector that is shrinking,” said Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche.
“Despite its essential role in delivering low-carbon, healthy, sustainable food, fishing is being crowded out by spatial planning that lacks proper safeguards.”
Voces pointed to alarming projections in the UK, where nearly half of the exclusive economic zone could become inaccessible to fishing by 2050 and warned that similar scenarios may unfold across European waters.
He stressed that fishers, unlike farmers, do not have property rights over their productive areas, making them vulnerable to exclusion and displacement.
Europêche emphasised that the spatial squeeze is already driving up fuel costs, increasing emissions, raising safety concerns and creating overcrowding in the remaining fishing grounds. This results in gear conflicts, inefficient operations and greater pressure on local fish stocks, especially for small-scale fleets with limited range and few alternatives.
“The motto ‘fish somewhere else’ simply denies the problem,” said Voces. “We need a Maritime Spatial Planning Directive that genuinely balances all marine activities and protects the viability of Europe’s fishing communities.”
Europêche is calling for stronger safeguards in the MSP Directive, including early involvement of fishers in decision-making, impact assessments for spatial changes and policies which support coexistence with offshore energy and conservation goals.
