Flanders fisheries covenant places fishermen at policy centre, linking research, data collection, sustainability goals and administrative burden reduction plans
Fishermen Positioned As Core Actors In New Covenant
A new Flemish fisheries agreement formally places fishermen at the centre of policy-making and scientific research, a shift that partners claim is designed to improve trust, data quality and long-term decision-making, but which still leaves key questions about outcomes unanswered.
On 21 January 2026, Flemish Fisheries Minister Hilde Crevits joined the Rederscentrale, Natuurpunt, the Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Research, the Agency for Agriculture and Sea Fisheries, and the Province of West Flanders in Ostend to sign the fourth covenant for sustainable fisheries, covering the period 2026 to 2030.
The agreement follows three earlier covenants that delivered a series of innovation projects and consumer-facing initiatives, including the “Fisheries Sustainable” recognition scheme, which allows shipowners to demonstrate sustainability commitments. Supporters argue these measures helped stabilise parts of the fishing sector, while critics note that broader structural pressures on fleets have continued to intensify.
Fishermen Integrated Into Research And Data Collection
The fourth covenant, titled “Fishermen at the helm towards innovation”, marks a deliberate change in emphasis by placing fishermen directly inside research processes rather than treating them solely as data providers or policy subjects.
A flagship example is a new research project led by ILVO, in which fishermen actively help collect scientific data on Belgian fish species. The project uses an automated environmental DNA sampler developed and tested by ILVO, which can independently collect and store seawater samples on board commercial fishing vessels.
Based on genetic material found in these samples, researchers can now identify which species are present in specific areas for around 87% of the 160 fish species recorded in Belgian waters. The stated advantage is faster, more frequent data collection, potentially reducing reliance on infrequent scientific surveys.
However, the approach also raises questions about how such data will be weighted within EU scientific advisory processes, which remain conservative in adopting new methodologies.
Challenging Established Scientific Assumptions
One of the more significant claims associated with the eDNA project is its ability to identify species not captured through traditional monitoring. ILVO researchers report that eDNA samples indicate higher numbers of sardines in the North Sea than suggested by catch data currently used at European level.
This discrepancy is explained by the fact that sardines swim higher in the water column and are therefore rarely caught by Belgian trawlers. While the finding highlights the limitations of catch-based data, it also exposes a wider issue, namely how quickly European advisory systems are willing to incorporate alternative evidence streams.
Two Belgian fishing vessels are already participating in the project, with samplers connected directly to onboard seawater intake systems. Similar collaboration has also replaced some annual research surveys, with stock assessment data increasingly collected aboard commercial vessels rather than on the Belgian research vessel Belgica.
Precision Fishing And Policy Ambitions
Beyond research, the covenant commits partners to pursuing precision fishing, real-time data use and more robust fisheries advice. The stated objective is to align economic viability with ecosystem protection, while ensuring fishermen have a stronger role in shaping how sustainability targets are defined and measured.
Minister Crevits has repeatedly argued that scientific advice underpinning catch opportunities and quotas must be accurate and consistent, particularly given the economic consequences of precautionary errors. The new framework is presented as a way to narrow the gap between science and operational reality.
Whether this results in tangible changes to quota-setting or remains largely advisory will depend on how findings are ultimately received at EU level.
Administrative Burden Reduction Promised
The agreement also acknowledges long-standing complaints from the fishing sector regarding regulatory complexity. An action plan focused on administrative simplification and burden reduction is to be developed in consultation with fishermen.
While such commitments have appeared in previous policy frameworks, implementation has often lagged behind ambition. The effectiveness of the new plan will therefore be judged less by intent and more by whether fishermen experience measurable reductions in reporting demands and compliance costs.
For now, the fourth covenant signals a clear political intent to reposition fishermen as partners rather than passive recipients of policy, but its real test will be whether this shift translates into influence where final decisions are actually made.
