Speaking at an event organized by the European Commission, Europêche President Javier Garat told delegates that fishing must regain its place as an essential and respected activity.

“Our fishermen need rational and understandable rules that allow them to remain competitive and innovative,” he said.

“Unenforceable legislation and radical new environmental policies are generating distrust and tension between industry, government and society. Plus, there are so many rules that anglers have to be practically lawyers to go fishing. This must change now. We have a new opportunity to learn from past mistakes and adapt to future needs and global demands.

He pointed out that when the CFP was adopted, all stakeholders recognized that the changes had led to a rapid recovery of fish stocks across Europe, particularly in the North-East Atlantic, although that industry representatives have expressed concerns that this has come at the expense of the fleet, which is facing major job losses, unenforceable rules, a global pandemic and a energy crisis, threatening to turn fishermen into an endangered species.

“Many current and past fisheries policies have been based on emotions, not science. Clear examples can be found for example in the landing obligation, which was proposed in response to a campaign launched by a celebrity chef in the UK, or the current call to ban bottom trawling,” he said. -he declares.

A science panelist at the event recommended rethinking the landing obligation, possibly using a different approach to achieve the goal of avoiding unwanted catches and eliminating discards.

Javier Garat reminded delegates that a resilient marine environment is essential, but equally important is creating the conditions for a thriving food sector and supply, in line with the EU Treaty, and for those reasons, fishermen should be at the heart of the PCP. He stressed the need for more and better science, including socio-economic impact studies on the impact of fisheries policies.

Fishermen want continued access to traditional fishing grounds, which are rapidly being taken over by new marine activities or intended for marine protection. Javier Garat warned that this trend poses a significant risk to EU food sovereignty.

Europêche also believes in the need to strengthen the external dimension of the CFP and ocean governance, for which more financial and human resources are needed.

Javier Garat underlined the importance of fishing agreements signed with third countries for the EU fleet and the need to apply the same rules to all vessels operating in international waters in order to guarantee a level playing field. He added that Europêche appreciates the work of the Commission in the fight against illegal fishing on a global scale and reiterated Europêche’s call for the recognition of the role of joint ventures in third countries.