ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF FISHING ENTERPRISES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Press Releases

ICCAT FAD Moratorium reduced in the Atlantic, tuna industry will now try to recover from economic impact

After five years of implementation, the Atlantic Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) moratorium enforced by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), was reduced from 72 to 45 days during ICCAT's 24th special meeting, held in Cyprus from November 11 to 18. This decision was taken at the initiative of the European Union, Ivory Coast, and Central American countries.

EU Social Partners unveil new tools to strengthen the social dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy

Today, the EU Social Partners in the fisheries sector, represented by Europêche and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), presented at the European Parliament the results of a major initiative aimed at creating a safer, healthier, and more worker-friendly fisheries sector across Europe. The dissemination conference, hosted by MEPs Nicolás González Casares (Socialists and Democrats) and Paulo do Nascimento Cabral (European People’s Party), provided an opportunity to showcase innovative tools developed under the EU project Pillars of the Sea 3: Roadmap towards socially sustainable fishing.

European Social Partners issue urgent call to protect Mediterranean coastal fishing communities

Brussels, 13 November 2024 – The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF), Europêche and COGECA - European fisheries social partners - jointly adopted a resolution at their plenary meeting, urgently addressing the critical state of the Mediterranean fisheries. This decision highlights shared concerns about the situation of fisheries in the Mediterranean where coastal communities are suffering from sizeable reductions of fishing effort, and the need for sensible EU policies to support both environmental, social and economic dimensions.

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

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.