A new study exposes how poor EU policy implementation harms small-scale fisheries and undermines sustainability goals
Marine NGOs Demand Full Implementation of EU Fisheries Law
A coalition of marine NGOs has issued a stark warning to EU countries and the European Commission, urging them to fully implement the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) or risk deepening environmental and social inequities in Europe’s fishing sector.
A newly published report titled “Power structures shaping EU fisheries” exposes how current policy implementation favours industrial-scale fishing operations at the expense of small-scale, low-impact fishers – despite legal obligations and available mechanisms to promote fairer and more sustainable practices.
A System Stacked Against Small-Scale Fishers
According to the report’s authors – Seas At Risk, BUND, Ecologistas en Acción, Sciaena, and Only One – public policy continues to “drive industrialisation and economic concentration” within the fisheries sector. This trend not only concentrates power in the hands of a few vertically integrated companies, but also sidelines smaller operators who play a vital role in supporting local economies and practicing environmentally responsible fishing.
“Small-scale fishers make up 76% of EU vessels and 50% of its fishing workforce, yet they continue to face low pay, unstable work, and exclusion from decision-making,” said Bruno Nicostrate, Senior Fisheries Policy Officer at Seas At Risk. “These fishers are being failed by policymakers who are ignoring the very tools the law gives them to build a fairer system.”
The report points to the EU’s complex subsidy mechanisms – which favour large operators able to manage extensive paperwork and upfront capital investment – as one of the key structural barriers disadvantaging small-scale fleets.
The study compares the EU fleet in 2021 to the fleet in 2013. Compared to 2013, the EU fleet declined by 11% in the number of active vessels, while the number of full-time fishers decreased by 20%. Moreover, the EU fleet experienced an 8% decrease in their average engine power and 7% in gross tonnage while fish populations remained overexploited. These developments suggest fewer ships, but the remaining ones are, on average, larger and more powerful. Image: Seas-at-Risk
Simplified PP Group company structure shows the concentration of resources, fleet and influence across different Member states, in the hands of one single family. Image: Seas-at-Risk
Law Not the Problem – Lack of Action Is
NGOs were clear in their conclusion: the problem isn’t the law itself, but its consistent under-enforcement. Despite binding obligations under the CFP – including a 2015 deadline to end overfishing – EU Fisheries Ministers routinely approve quotas that exceed scientific advice. “Five years past the legal deadline, overfishing remains endemic,” the report notes.
Other tools, such as Article 17 of the CFP, allow Member States to distribute quotas based on social and environmental criteria. However, such methods are rarely used. Most quotas continue to be distributed on the basis of historic catches – a practice that entrenches inequality and rewards those already overcapitalised.
“The Oceans Pact, soon to be released by the European Commission, must address this failure,” said Monica Verbeek, Executive Director at Seas At Risk. “We need a real plan to support low-impact fishers and ensure the sustainable use of marine resources.”
Call for Just Transition in Fisheries
The report also criticises the ongoing trend of consolidation, with fewer but larger vessels dominating the fleet. This shift has increased pressure on marine ecosystems and reduced the resilience of coastal communities.
As part of a campaign called Protect Our Catch, supported by Only One and hundreds of thousands of EU citizens, the NGOs are calling on EU leaders to prioritise low-impact fishers in future policy reforms and halt destructive practices like bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
“This is about livelihoods, food security, and the health of our seas,” Nicostrate added. “Policy must be enforced and reoriented to serve the many, not the few.”
The European Commission is currently evaluating the effectiveness of the CFP in a consultation set to conclude in 2026. Marine groups say this must be used as an opportunity to implement long-overdue changes and secure a just transition for EU fisheries.
Source: Press Release
