PelAC Advises Urgent Reform of CFP Needed Amidst Challenges

Pelagic Advisory Council urges major EU fisheries policy reform of the CFP to tackle climate change, Brexit, and ensure sustainability

EU Fisheries Policy Falling Short: Pelagic Advisory Council Calls for Major Reforms Amidst Climate Change, Brexit Impacts

The European Union’s 2013 Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has only partially achieved its objectives, struggling with long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability, according to a recent evaluation by the Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC).

The PelAC’s comprehensive assessment, submitted to Ms. Charlina Vitcheva, Director General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, highlights critical areas where the CFP needs significant intervention and amendment to address current and emerging challenges, including climate change, the impacts of Brexit, and the need for greater coherence with other EU policies.

The PelAC’s evaluation, conducted as a contribution to the public consultation on the CFP, assessed the policy against key criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and EU added value.

Effectiveness: Mixed Results and Stagnation

While the state of EU fish stocks has improved under the CFP, the primary objective of ensuring long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability has only been partially met. The PelAC points to concerning trends:

Fleet Decline and Aging: The number of EU fishing vessels decreased by 6% between 2013 and 2022, with the average fleet age exceeding 30 years.
Profitability Issues: Overall profitability across fleet segments has stagnated or reduced. The large-scale fleet, in particular, saw a 62% decrease in net profit.
Generational Renewal Lacking: Attracting and retaining crew remains a widespread difficulty across Member States.
Increased Imports: The EU now relies on cheap third-country imports for 70% of its fish consumption, undermining the competitiveness of the EU fleet.
Persistent Overfishing and Social Neglect: Despite improved management, regulatory reforms haven’t fully addressed overfishing or protected marine-dependent communities, partly due to conflicting policy objectives and insufficient focus on social outcomes.
MSY Target Partially Met: While some stocks are fished at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), others are not, and a lack of sufficient scientific data hinders robust assessment for some stocks. Unilateral quotas by some Coastal States have led to actual catches exceeding Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for important pelagic stocks by 20-40%.
Limited Ecosystem-Based Approach: Progress on implementing an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management (EBFM) has been limited, despite its incorporation into scientific advice for some stocks. The PelAC recommends implementing ICES’s Framework for Ecosystem-Informed Science and Advice (FEISA) to improve EBFM uptake.
Data Analysis Funding Gap: While data collection has intensified and improved scientific advice, funding and capacity for data analysis have decreased, hindering the full utilization of collected data.

Efficiency: An Unanswered Question

The PelAC stated it was “unable to comment on the cost-effectiveness of the CFP.”

Relevance: Adapting to New Realities

The PelAC argues that the current CFP, while focusing on the environmental impact of fishing, does not adequately address the increasing impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.

Climate Change Impacts: The past decade has seen more frequent and intense marine heatwaves, leading to increased ocean temperatures, reduced oxygen levels, and acidification, all impacting fish populations. The PelAC emphasizes the need for a reformed CFP that is resilient and adaptable to these changes, including shifting fish stock distributions.
Pollution and Biodiversity Loss: Pollution and biodiversity loss are also significantly impacting ocean resiliency, as evidenced by the dire environmental state of the Baltic Sea. The PelAC stresses that sustainable fish stocks require addressing these broader environmental issues.
Third Country Agreements: The CFP has failed to secure comprehensive sharing arrangements for widely distributed stocks with Coastal States, leading to inflated unilateral quotas and undermining sustainable management.
Animal Welfare: The PelAC highlights the need to address data and knowledge gaps regarding the impact of fisheries on fish welfare, recommending its recognition in the CFP.
Flexibility Needed: The PelAC underscores the need for a more agile CFP to adapt to significant changes like Brexit and climate change, including reviewing current quota sharing arrangements based on outdated fishing patterns.

Coherence: Bridging Policy Gaps

The PelAC stresses the importance of a reformed CFP being coherent with other recent EU legislation and international agreements, such as the European Green Deal, the “Fit for 55” Package, the European Biodiversity Strategy, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Green Transition: While the fishing sector has significantly reduced its CO2 emissions, the PelAC calls for continued discussions on broader changes beyond alternative fuels, including improving fishing gears, optimizing catches, and reviewing existing legislation for environmental friendliness. They also emphasize that capacity ceilings should not hinder the green transition.
Brexit Impacts: Brexit has led to quota losses for all EU fishers and necessitated decommissioning plans in heavily reliant Member States. The PelAC believes the CFP must adapt to this new context to ensure a level playing field.
Maritime Spatial Planning: The implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) directives has led to the closure of fishing grounds due to the dedication of areas to offshore renewable energy and marine protected areas, often with limited consultation with fishers. The PelAC urges full consideration of these impacts and coherence with the CFP.
Role of Advisory Councils: The PelAC recommends that Advisory Councils be empowered to advise and interact with the European Parliament in future CFP changes, acknowledging the Parliament’s co-legislative role.
Simplification: The PelAC notes an increase in regulations impacting the fishing sector since 2013, leading to a lack of clarity and overlapping provisions. They suggest assessing these overlaps and simplifying regulations, particularly given the implementation of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM).

EU Added Value: Imperfect Harmonization

The CFP has provided added value in ensuring a level playing field among Member States due to the EU’s exclusive competence in fisheries. However, concerns remain about Member States’ differing interpretations and implementation of rules, particularly regarding control and technical measures.

European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA): The PelAC views the EFCA’s work as crucial for harmonizing control and ensuring a level playing field.
Regionalization Challenges: While regionalization was a positive step, engagement with Member States Regional Groups has been challenging for Advisory Councils, and a dedicated pelagic-specific Member States Regional Group is needed.
Impact of Brexit on Regionalization: Brexit has diminished regionalization in the Northeast Atlantic, as negotiations for over 100 stocks now occur directly between the EU and UK administrations. The PelAC calls for a review and refinement of the regionalization process.
Structural Funds: The European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and its predecessor, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), have provided essential funding, and the PelAC warns against moving to a single funding mechanism that could diminish support for the sector.

Key Recommendations:

To improve the CFP, the PelAC recommends:

Implementing ICES’s FEISA for EBFM, with a focus on North Sea herring as a case study.
Improving data collection and analysis, including investing in new methods like DNA for stock delimitation.
Rethinking common arrangements for widely distributed stocks, revising Regulation EU 1026/2012, and addressing unlawful practices of inflated Coastal State quotas.
Adopting a flexible approach to fisheries management to adapt to climate change impacts on fish stock distribution.
Initiating discussions on improving fishing gears, optimizing catches, and reviewing regulations to reduce carbon emissions and environmental footprints.
Assessing the necessity of constraining fishing activities through capacity, especially for single-species vessels, and reviewing reporting and the costs/benefits of such limits.
Setting the MSY approach as a binding principle in the 2026 review of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Reflecting on the coherence between restoration objectives, Marine Protected Areas, offshore renewables, and fishing activities within Maritime Spatial Planning.
Allowing Advisory Councils to advise all EU officials, including the European Parliament.
Assessing the overlap between Technical Measures Regulation and Remote Electronic Monitoring provisions.
Addressing ocean pollution by implementing existing EU environmental legislation, including updates to the Water Framework Directive and future evaluation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Supporting the creation of a pelagic-specific Member State Regional Group.
Reviewing and refining the regionalization process to reflect post-Brexit changes and ensure a more meaningful role for Member States and ACs in these negotiations.
Supporting through future iterations of fisheries specific structural funds the competitiveness and resilience of European large-scale fishing fleets.
Exploring the implementation of Article 17 on quota allocation and tailor management to include socio-economic impacts such as employment, contribution to food security, and cultural contributions alongside environmental criteria. A tailored management approach should emphasise sustainable practices that contribute to achieving environmental goals and social stability. Ensuring transparency and accessibility in the distribution process by fully disclosing the criteria for allocation and and maintaining public registers of the mechanisms and outcomes of quota distribution by Member States is essential for enhancing fairness and accountability in the management of fishing opportunities.

The PelAC concludes that while the CFP has made progress, a new balance must be struck between environmental, economic, and social sustainability to ensure the profitability of EU fishing fleets and attract a new generation to the industry. The evaluation underscores the urgent need for a more adaptable and comprehensive policy that can effectively address the multifaceted challenges facing the EU’s marine environment and fishing sector.

Read the 'PelAC Contribution to the Evaluation of the 2013 Common Fisheries Policy' by clicking here