Spanish fishing sector leader, Javier Garratt believes the EU should decide if it wants its own fleet to be the supplier of protein from the sea or third parties. Photo: CEPESCA
The Spanish fishing sector, represented by the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), believes that the European Union (EU) must decide in the new political cycle, which will commence after the European Parliament elections on June 9, whether it wants to have its own fishing fleet or leave the supply of fish to its citizens in the hands of third-party fishing powers, thus relinquishing its food sovereignty over one of the highest-quality proteins for humans.
Feeling “cornered” by the decisions made by European politicians over the last five years, the sector plans to engage in a series of discussions with representatives of political parties participating in the European elections on June 9 to convey this concern, present their proposals and demands, and offer their full cooperation for the new legislative term.
According to the sector, future representatives of citizens in the European Parliament will bear enormous responsibility due to the need for the EU to “define its position and future as a project in a geopolitical environment such as the current one, marked by instability and uncertainties.” In the sector’s view, Europe must take decisive action in strategic areas, such as defense, energy, or food for its citizens.
The fishing sector encourages future European representatives to be aware and proud of Spain’s fishing leadership in Europe. The Spanish fleet accounts for 20% of the EU’s total fishing production and leads in both volume (765,237.25 tonnes of fish and shellfish in 2023) and total revenue (€1,790.29 million in first-sale value in 2023 and an added value exceeding €10 billion), with imports of 1.56 million tonnes and exports of 1.08 million tonnes.
The sector will convey to political parties the paradoxical situation experienced by fishermen, pressured and “cornered” by the European green obsession, despite the fact that, as stated by the FAO in its vision on the Blue Transformation, “aquatic foods offer incredible potential to improve nutrition due to their high nutritional value and to address difficulties in food security.” The sector recalls that, according to UNCTAD, the European fleet has reduced its emissions by 52% since 1990, representing only 0.01% of CO2 emissions worldwide.
According to the sector, current times require the EU to reinforce and place its primary food production, including seafood, at the forefront of the agenda and structure of the European Commission (EC). Therefore, the sector requests the appointment of a Fisheries Commissioner, detached from environmental responsibilities, and an executive vice president for food sovereignty.
The sector believes that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) needs a surgical review to rebalance its objectives, reinforce socio-economic dimensions and food security, and ensure that European fishermen remain competitive internationally. Additionally, they request the revision of unworkable fisheries policies, such as the landing obligation, and the simplification of regulations by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy.
Furthermore, the EU must strengthen the external dimension of its fisheries policy to ensure good international governance and redefine its basic principles on how to participate and position itself during bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral fisheries negotiations to adequately defend the interests of the European fleet.
In this regard, the sector calls attention to the need to apply mirror clauses to imports to prevent what is happening, for example, with the “slow and unstoppable decline” of the European tuna fleet (France and Spain) against third-party fleets, such as those from Asia, which subsequently export their products to the European market without meeting the environmental, health, and social standards required of the European fleet. Therefore, fishermen request the creation of a Euro-label for fishery products.
Finally, the sector is convinced that a new political approach to European fishing activity based on knowledge of its reality would make the sector an attractive alternative for new generations, thus solving the threat of generational turnover. Meanwhile, the sector demands the full circulation of European fishing workers in the EU, the validation of qualifications issued in EU Member States, the development of more tailored Dual Vocational Training programs, and the relaxation of regulations for hiring foreigners.
Source: Press Release