Oceana welcomes the European Commission’s “Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture,” considering it an important step toward shaping the future of European fisheries, aquaculture, and the seafood sector over the next 15 years. The new strategic framework focuses on more effective implementation of existing legislation, supporting small-scale fisheries, better informing consumers, and enhancing transparency throughout the supply chain. At the same time, it seeks to address issues related to the ownership of third-country-flagged fishing vessels by EU citizens and companies.
Oceana places particular emphasis on the recognition that the long-term sustainability of fisheries depends on healthy marine ecosystems and sound management of fish stocks. As it points out, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) already provides the European Union with the necessary tools to ensure sustainable and legal fishing activities, with effective oversight and accountability, while helping to shape a fairer future for fishing communities.
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Oceana’s Executive Director and Vice President for Europe, Vera Coelho, stated: “The sustainable future of European fisheries and the seafood sector rests on three pillars: healthy fish stocks, meaningful support for fishermen who adopt low-environmental-impact practices through the upcoming Oceans Act, and transparency in fishing activities. The next step is to turn this vision into tangible results that will be visible to citizens and on which fishermen can rely.”
Enhancing transparency and consumer information
With regard to fishing activities outside EU waters, Oceana welcomes the commitment to greater transparency regarding the actual owners of fishing vessels and those who derive financial benefits from their operations. The lack of this information represents a significant gap in the effort to combat illegal fishing.
This lack of transparency often allows EU citizens and companies to use so-called “flags of convenience,” exploiting weaknesses in control mechanisms, concealing the true ownership status of vessels, and evading effective oversight. For this reason, Oceana calls for the collection of relevant information to be made mandatory and for the creation of a unified, publicly accessible registry at the EU level.
Oceana also advocates for ensuring a level playing field for European producers and providing consumers with more comprehensive information, with strict transparency requirements regarding the composition and origin of all fishery and aquaculture products.
In this context, it welcomes the European Commission’s intention to consider extending mandatory consumer information to processed and preserved fishery products. This is an important step toward promoting sustainable fisheries and ensuring fair competition in the European market.
It also welcomes the commitment to ensure the traceability of all fishery and aquaculture products by 2029, including processed and preserved products, as well as for applying the same transparency standards to both European and imported products.
Marine Protected Areas and Ecosystem Restoration
Despite the positive outlook, Oceana regrets that the Vision does not explicitly reaffirm the EU’s commitment to protecting 30% of European seas by 2030, of which 10% should be under strict protection. Furthermore, it does not further advance the commitment in the European Commission’s Blue Economy Action Plan, presented in 2023, regarding the phased elimination of bottom trawling in the EU’s marine protected areas.
However, Oceana welcomes the provision to integrate the expansion and effective management of marine protected areas and restoration areas into marine spatial planning.
The effective protection of these areas, through measures that address harmful fishing activities, can contribute to the restoration of marine ecosystems and fish stocks. This creates the conditions for a more resilient fishing industry with a low environmental impact.
Priority on Supporting Small-Scale Fisheries
Oceana welcomes the European Commission’s intention to support small-scale fishers through the upcoming Ocean Act. According to the organization, the new Act should require Member States to designate, as part of their maritime spatial planning, priority access areas for small-scale fishers. Priority should be given to those who employ low-environmental-impact practices and contribute to local employment, sustainable food production, and the well-being of coastal communities.
Specifically, Oceana calls for the EU’s coastal zone within 12 nautical miles to be reserved for these types of fishing, excluding large-scale destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling.
In conclusion, Vera Coelho emphasized: “2040 may seem far off, but the decisions that will determine the success of this Vision are being made today. The Common Fisheries Policy already provides the tools for sustainable fisheries management. The priority now is their effective implementation: following scientific advice, restoring fish stocks, and ensuring that fishermen who operate sustainably can compete on a level playing field. The future of the European fishing sector and the coastal communities that depend on it will depend on these measures.”
