Significant progress in achieving sustainable fisheries in the EU
ifish.info Information portal for the European fishing industry
EU Parliament vote on multi-annual plan for demersal fish stocks in the North Sea poses concerns to industry
Commissioner Vella committed to supporting EU long distance fishing fleet
Lack of implementation of EU funds hampers efforts to achieve CFP objectives
Success story for European fisheries and policies
Press Releases
Europêche welcomes Lithuanian Long Distance Fisheries Association as new member
Europêche, the leading representative body for the fishing industry in the European Union, is delighted to announce the addition of the Lithuanian Long Distance Fisheries Association to its membership. At its General Assembly, Europêche members unanimously endorsed and welcomed the new Baltic member. This addition constitutes a great step forward in strengthening the voice of European fisheries.
Europêche welcomes Danish Fishers PO (DFPO) as new member
Europêche, the leading representative body for the fishing industry in Europe, is delighted to announce the inclusion of the Danish Fishers PO (DFPO) as its newest member. Currently representing over 550 fishing vessels, DFPO significantly contributes to Danish coastal and local communities, supporting 16,000 jobs and generating €1.8 billion in economic activity. During its General Assembly held today in Brussels, Europêche members endorsed and warmly welcomed DFPO as new member, marking a significant milestone in strengthening the voice of European fisheries.
EU Sea Fisheries Social Partners: Advancing Social Sustainability
Brussels, 10 July 2024 – As we finalise the deliverables of the "Pillars of the Sea 3" project, we are pleased to present our achievements and future initiatives. Co-funded by the EU, this project advances the Social Dialogue Committee roadmap for socially sustainable fishing, building on our previous successes. Notably, our work on medical guidelines for fishers led to the adoption of new guidelines on medical examination of fishers by ILO and IMO, confirming our essential role in advancing the health, safety, and sustainability of the fishing industry. As we move forward, we remain committed to enhancing the working conditions and safety of fishers across the EU and beyond.
News
iFish, We Fish
The commercial fisheries of the EU stretch for thousands of square miles, from the inhospitable seas of the Arctic North, to the warmer and more favourable climes of the Southern Mediterranean. These communal waters harbour a plethora of commercial species of fish and shellfish, the landings of which form an integral part of the economies of 23 member countries, accounting for a colossal 4.9 million tonne catch, from a fleet of 87,500 vessels, a statistic that indicates a world ranking of 5th largest in terms of total output.
European Projects
The Catching the Potential Project was officially kicked off on the 28th of May with the project consortium from seven EU Member States. In the course of the next three years, we will work together on the project's goal to develop an European, perhaps international, standard in the field of sustainability training for fishers.
Catching the potential’s ultimate goal is to develop a European standard for sustainable fisheries training. Learn more about the steps of the project.
The project as a whole, consists in partially implementing the work programme of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Sea Fishing in order to significantly make progress in various key areas of interest for Social Partners. The main issues covered by the project are mainly dealing with how to improve health, working conditions and safety at sea of our fishermen.
Home by the Sea -Can fisheries and wind farms co-exist?
Sustainable fishing activities require space as does the development and operation of offshore wind farms. In order to safeguard the future of our seas and oceans, the EU adopted back in 2014 a Directive for maritime and coastal spatial planning urging Member States to ensure that human activities at sea take place in an efficient, safe and sustainable way and reduce users’ conflicts. At the same time, to tackle climate change, EU governments are determined to answer to the EU’s Paris Agreement nationally determined contribution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 1990. For this purpose, some countries are pushing to increase offshore wind power 40-fold by 2030 in Europe.
Needless to say, the European wind industry has an ambitious plan, hereby claiming a vast amount of space. Therefore, the question 'Can fisheries and wind farms co-exist?’ is a relevant but complex question which will become more pressing in the near future.
Home by the Sea by Hiske Ridder. www.conpuls.nl
On behalf of and many thanks to: Job Schot, Dirk Kraak and Cor Vonk, www.vissersvoorvrijezee.nl. Julien Theore, Silvain Gallaisl and Olivier Becquet, https://pecheursartisans.com. Bertrand Wendling, https://sathoan.fr. Pim Visser, VisNed.nl. Rosalie Tukker, http://europeche.chil.me.