Progress towards more sustainable fishing in the EU has been uneven over the past decade, with fish stock recovery still slower than expected and economic pressures continuing for many fishers, according to the evaluation of the bloc’s Common Fisheries Policy.
The review covers the period from 2014 to 2024 and reports some reductions in overfishing alongside stronger fisheries management, but says sustainability gains have fallen short and predicted economic benefits from 2014 did not fully materialise, partly because of factors including geopolitical developments and high energy prices, the European Commission reported on Thursday.
In many cases, the main problem is inconsistent implementation and enforcement of the policy across EU countries rather than the rules themselves.
The evaluation will be used to inform possible future changes to the Common Fisheries Policy and will feed into the Commission’s “2040 Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture”, a 15-year framework.
Economic pressures and slow recovery
The value of EU trade in fishery and aquaculture products rose by 18% in real terms between 2015 and 2024, the Commission said.
However, it reported limited progress on the economic and social side of the policy, with the fishing sector facing an ageing fleet, rising operating costs and difficulties for small-scale fishers in accessing fishing opportunities.
The share of fish stocks fished at sustainable levels increased from 50% in 2014 to 63% in 2022 and fishing pressure fell, but stocks did not recover as expected.
The policy’s contribution to food security was described as moderate because domestic production has been static or declining, while EU aquaculture remained relatively small despite being profitable and did not achieve the production growth the Commission said was possible.
Discarding unwanted catches is still happening in EU fisheries, according to the evaluation, which said the “landing obligation” — a requirement to bring all caught fish to shore, including unwanted or undersized fish — has not delivered the expected improvements in fishing practices, partly due to weak implementation.
Consumer demand has shifted towards processed and convenient seafood products, but EU rules on consumer information have limited added value because their scope does not cover processed products.
Since the UK left the EU, management of many fish stocks in northern sea areas has moved from an EU-only approach to a shared-stock framework, and the current policy provides the legal basis to operate in that context, the Commission added.
