The EU Fisheries Package presented today by the European Commission sends mixed signals for the future of European fisheries, marine ecosystems and coastal communities over the coming decades.
While the package contains promising signals on ocean governance and the future of the sector, significant gaps remain in translating ambition into concrete action at European and national levels. Its success will ultimately depend on strong implementation, adequate financing and a continued commitment to healthy fish populations and marine ecosystems.
According to Dr Antonia Leroy, Head of Ocean Policy at WWF European Policy Office, “This package is a welcome step towards stronger EU leadership on fisheries, combining action at home with greater ambition internationally. Yet, ambition alone will not restore fish populations, accelerate decarbonisation or support coastal communities and fishers. What matters now is delivering on these ambitions in practice, without further delay.”
The 2040 Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture builds on the clear conclusion of the Commission’s own Common Fisheries Policy evaluation: the policy remains fit for purpose, and full implementation should therefore be the priority. However, some of the targeted initiatives set out in the Vision risk weakening existing environmental safeguards and undermining efforts to restore depleted critical fish populations. For instance, while improving selectivity is key to reducing unwanted catches, it must go hand in hand with the landing obligation that drives this objective and ensure improved fisheries management.
The Energy Transition Roadmap fails to provide the concrete measures and milestones needed to put the sector on a credible path towards climate neutrality. Important building blocks, including robust baseline assessments, fish stock restoration and the use of existing capacity margins to drive decarbonisation and efficiency, are either absent or insufficiently developed. Despite the clear need to move the EU fishing sector away from fossil fuels and energy-intensive technologies, the roadmap risks maintaining the status quo rather than driving meaningful change.
The EU Strategy for the External Dimension of Fisheries sends a strong signal of the EU’s ambition to lead globally on sustainable fisheries and ocean governance. WWF particularly welcomes commitments to strengthen the implementation of the digital catch certificate (CATCH), improving seafood imports traceability and helping prevent products derived from illegal fishing from entering the EU market, as well as measures to reinforce the EU’s role within Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. The focus must now shift to effective implementation by both the European Commission and Member States.
As stated by Laure Guillevic, WWF EU Ocean Policy Officer, “This package sends a strong signal from Brussels that Europe can play a leading role in protecting our ocean and promoting sustainable fisheries worldwide. The digital catch certificate strengthens the traceability of seafood entering the EU market, but its long-term success depends on full and effective implementation, and strong political backing.”
Decarbonising EU fisheries: a roadmap to 2050 – Joint NGO briefing on the transition towards a decarbonised EU fishing fleet.
