NGOs launch new guide urging EU to step up action on bycatch
Environmental NGOs are calling for bolder EU action to curb the bycatch of sensitive marine species, as Seas At Risk and its partners BUND, Sciaena, and Ecologistas en Acción publish a new guide for policymakers.
The document, Bycatch guide – Understanding and addressing bycatch of sensitive species in EU fisheries, released ahead of EU Ocean Week, sets out context-specific strategies to reduce the capture of species such as cetaceans, seabirds and sharks – many of which remain critically endangered. The groups warn that repeated accidental capture is eroding marine biodiversity, with impacts felt across all EU sea basins.
Bycatch, they argue, cannot be solved with a single measure. Instead, the guide recommends tailored approaches, combining seasonal and spatial closures with less intensive fishing and the adoption of more selective gear. Crucially, the NGOs stress that mitigation efforts should go beyond keeping bycaught animals alive and aim for the recovery of species and ecosystems.
Bruno Nicostrate, Senior Policy Officer at Seas At Risk, said: “Bycatch remains one of the most damaging and unnecessary threats to marine life, and addressing it must become a political priority if the EU is serious about restoring ocean health. A just transition to fair, low-bycatch and low-impact fisheries is urgently needed. EU Commissioner Kadis should embed this goal across all forthcoming ocean-related initiatives.”
The NGOs are urging EU leaders to embed financial support in the next EU budget, integrate bycatch measures into the forthcoming Ocean Act, and fully enforce the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). They argue that supporting fishers through a fair transition is essential to make bycatch-free practices realistic and affordable.
The guide will be formally presented at an event in the European Parliament on 16 October 2025, hosted by MEPs César Luena and Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral.
