Report: European fishing can be safeguarded by upscaling existing initiatives

Published by Seas At Risk and its members Ecologistas en Acción, Sciaena and Bund, the study “Allocating fishing opportunities with environmental, social and economic criteria in mind” showcases ten alternative practices pioneered by national governments in the allocation of fishing opportunities. Seas At Risk said these schemes are based on a more sustainable and equitable distribution of fishing rights and quotas.

The environmental NGO believes that if upscaled, replicated and tailored to national realities, these examples can lead to sustainable fishing practices, the prevention of overfishing and the enhancement of fishers’ wellbeing.

Its report focuses on allocating fishing opportunities based on environmental or social considerations. Seas At Risk said while these are in line with what’s encouraged under current rules, including by Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), they are “rarely implemented” by member states.

The environmental criteria adopted by member states span reduced carbon emissions, use of low impact fishing equipment, and decreased incidental catches, it noted, while the social criteria include support to small-scale and artisanal fishers, fishers living on remote islands, and having children with disabilities. It also addresses the sector’s worker deficit by fostering the integration of new and young fishers.

Seas At Risk highlighted the examples given in the report remain rare cases across the EU. In fact, it said, the current allocation of fishing opportunities is almost solely based on historic criteria – those fisheries who have historically caught certain amounts of fish in the past, are often granted similar quotas also in subsequent years.

While these allocation practices help maintain stability, allowing fishers to make long-term plans and reduce uncertainties, it also perpetuates social disparities, the organisation insisted.

This, it said, reinforces the influence of a selected group of powerful industrial fisheries using harmful fishing practices, at the expense of smaller-scale and artisanal fishers and fragile marine ecosystems. This paradox stresses the urgent need for new measures that prioritise fairness, sustainability and the preservation of the ocean for future generations.

With the European Commission expected to soon release guidance to encourage member states to use the environmental and social options offered in existing rules when allocating fishing quotas at a national level, Seas At Risk explained that the NGO community is looking to show that promoting sustainable fishing practices and the wellbeing of fishers is possible.

“We stand at a critical juncture where the future of our ocean and fishing communities hangs in the balance. The European Commission must lead EU countries to shift towards a more sustainable and equitable distribution of fishing opportunities to contribute to a healthy ocean for us and future generations. It’s time to rethink fisheries,” Seas At Risk Senior Fisheries Policy Officer Bruno Nicostrate said.

The organisation’s Fisheries Policy Officer Remi Cossetti added: “To tackle the escalating ecological and social crises that afflict EU waters and the fishing sector, national governments can learn from alternative fair and eco-friendly fishing practices that are already happening across the EU. Replicating, upscaling and tailoring these practices to national realities is key to unlocking a sustainable future for fishers, while safeguarding marine ecosystems.”