Common Fisheries Policy should be closer to the daily challenges of fishers 

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  • Fisheries sector and environmental policy must be aligned 
  • Flexible landing obligation needed 
  • Common Fisheries Policy has to take account of the needs of outermost regions 

More flexibility in the implementation of the landing obligation, involve fishers more and better balance between all objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy, say Fisheries MEPs.

In a report tacking stock of the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), approved on Tuesday by 16 votes to 4 against and 1 abstention, MEPs consider that the environmental aspect is prevailing over the socio-economic and food security. Therefore, they call for a balance between all policy objectives (environment, economic sector and security).

To guarantee the sustainable management of fish stocks, MEPs ask for a practical approach in the implementation of maximum sustainable yield - a fisheries management reference consisting in the largest catch that can be taken from a species' stock without reducing the size of the population.


Landing obligation and fishing opportunities

The landing obligation cannot be implemented properly if aspects, such as the lack of storage capacity on board, are not improved, MEPs add. Arguing that the current landing obligation should take into account the challenges of fishers, they call on the Commission to evaluate alternatives that could minimise unwanted catches, to look for different ways to implement the landing obligation and to develop more selective gear.

In addition, MEPs deplore the lack of transparency in member states when allocating quotas and ask to fishing communities be involved in this process.


Regionalisation, small-scale fisheries and outermost regions

MEPs stress that it is important to involve regions and local authorities in the development of national programmes for fisheries. Also small-scale fishers should be more involved in developing fisheries policies. MEPs call for the inclusion of a definition of small-scale, artisanal and coastal fisheries in the next review of the CFP.

Considering that the CFP does not address the specific characteristics of the outermost regions, MEPs call on the Commission to propose a programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) for fisheries and aquaculture, identical to the one for agriculture. MEPs also stress the need of national and EU level support to modernise the artisanal fleet from these regions.


Background

In February 2023, 10 years after the last reform of the CFP and 40 years since its creation, the European Commission presented a “Pact for Fisheries and Oceans”, including its assessment on how the CFP works.

Considering that the CFP contains all the tools for more sustainable fisheries management, the Commission admits there is room for improvement in the implementation of the plan.