Protect the oceans without sacrificing the catch

As the European Commission prepares to unveil its Ocean Pact in June, the EPP Group has adopted its position, calling for a balanced approach that protects marine ecosystems while keeping Europe's fishing fleet competitive.

“Sustainable ocean management must balance economic development, social cohesion and environmental protection,” said Isabelle Le Callennec MEP, who is responsible for the topic within the EPP Group. "Fisheries and aquaculture are strategic sectors for Europe, not only because of their economic weight, but also because they are key to food security and the vitality of coastal communities," Le Callennec said.

For the EPP Group, European food security is impossible without support for production and fair access to maritime areas for sustainable fishing. “Some conservationists are pushing to impose further restrictions on access to waters. We must not fall into this trap,” warned Gabriel Mato MEP, EPP Group Spokesman in Parliament's Fisheries Committee. "Environmental protection and the economy can go hand in hand. Science, new technologies and the experience of fishermen must all be part of the debate if we are to preserve our seas without compromising the viability of the sector," Mato added.

Avoiding regulatory overkill is another priority. "European fisheries are the most virtuous and the most regulated in the world; we should champion our high standards internationally, while protecting our seafood supply chain from unfair global competition. But we must also make sure these rules don’t backfire. We must avoid shooting ourselves in the foot by imposing totally unbridled bureaucracy," Le Callennec stressed.

Finally, the fight against illegal fishing and fraud is crucial. "Europe imports 70 per cent of the seafood it consumes, so it is essential to defend our sustainable, regulated and competitive European fisheries against illegal and unfair practices by third countries. Illegal fishing is a major environmental, food safety, social and humanitarian threat," the MEPs concluded.

The full text of the EPP Group's European Oceans Position Paper is available here.