Catch of the Day – September 2024

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities

 

2025 Baltic Sea Fishing Quotas: Cause for Concern, LIFE Calls for Sustainable Limits

The European Commission’s 2025 fishing quotas for the Baltic Sea have raised concerns among LIFE members. They advocate for more cautious fishing limits based on longer-term stock data, alongside multispecies management. This approach would help safeguard the sustainability of fish populations and protect the livelihoods of communities that rely on Baltic fisheries. LIFE members criticise the scientists’ reliance on just three years of data to assess fish stocks, warning that it could lead to overfishing, especially of herring, and destabilize the marine ecosystem. LIFE says it’s a perverse decision based on flawed science and must be revised. 

 

LIFE’s Manifesto: Reshaping EU Fisheries Policies for Fairness and Sustainability

For the upcoming X° legislature of the European Union, the Low Impact Fishers of Europe have published a Manifesto with a clear mission: to guide decision-makers in placing small-scale fisheries at the heart of EU fisheries policies, aiming to restructure the current, inequitable system.

This Manifesto serves as a call to action for the European Parliament, urging it to legislate and shape policies that are fair in three crucial aspects: Fair for the Fishers, Fair for Future Generations, and Fair for Nature. LIFE emphasizes that small-scale fishers play a vital role in sustainable fishing practices, but they are often marginalized under existing EU policies that favour larger, industrial fleets.

To address these disparities, LIFE outlines six key priorities within the Manifesto. These priorities are designed to promote a fairer distribution of fishing rights and opportunities, ensure environmental sustainability, and protect the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. By implementing these improvements, the EU can pave the way for a more just and sustainable fisheries management system that benefits not only current fishers but also future generations and the marine environment.

LIFE’s manifesto is both a roadmap and a rallying cry for change, highlighting the urgent need to align EU fisheries policies with social, economic, and ecological fairness.

 

Nomination of the new European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans

LIFE has welcomed the nomination of Kostas Cadis as the European Commission-designate for Fisheries and Oceans. Coming from Cyprus, an island with a strong small-scale fishing tradition, where he served as Minister for Agriculture, LIFE is hopeful that Cadis will be particularly sensitive to the needs and challenges of small-scale fishers in the Mediterranean and other European waters.

LIFE calls for the Commissioner, once designated, to tackle head-on  the sector’s unique difficulties, from allocating fishing opportunities, to resource management and support for  low impact fishing practices. LIFE looks forward to working closely and cooperatively with Mr. Cadis and his team, once his appointment is confirmed, to further the development of fair and sustainable fisheries policies across Europe.

It’s of note that in the new College of Commissioners, responsibilities for the Environment, for Agriculture and Food, for Energy and Housing, and for Fisheries and Oceans are divided and under the direct direction of the President, and without any explicit horizontal linkages. 

For more information see the following relevant information:  

• Article by Politico on Ursula von der Leyen’s new European Commission
• Von der Leyen’s Political Guidelines 2024-2029, pages 21-22
• List and biographies of Commissioners-designate
• Von der Leyen’s Mission Letter for the Commissioner Designate for Fisheries and Oceans

 

Celebrating Resilience: The Fourth Festival of Northern Fishing Traditions in North Karelia, Finland

The fourth Festival of Northern Fishing Traditions took place in North Karelia, Finland. Organized by the Snowchange Cooperative, a member of LIFE.  The festival was the brainchild of Olli Klemola, a professional fisherman and steward of fishing traditions in Pälkäne, whose vision inspires the event. This unique event provides a platform for Indigenous and small-scale fishers from various communities worldwide to come together, share knowledge, and revitalize the care and confidence needed to tackle challenges like climate change and the detrimental impacts of industrial fishing. The festival also marked the premiere of a new film, Seining for a Song, produced by Thomas Miller in collaboration with the Snowchange Cooperative. Filmed in the Koitajoki Basin, the documentary highlights how Reino is passing on his river seining expertise to a new generation, despite the centuries of damage and cultural assimilation experienced in Karelia.

 

Follow the Fish Campaign

LIFE is backing the Follow The Fish campaign, which seeks to address a significant gap in EU labelling and product information legislation in fisheries. While fresh fish must be traceable from catch to consumer, processed seafood products are not held to the same standard. This lack of clarity prevents consumers from knowing the origin, species, and fishing methods of the seafood they purchase.

The Follow The Fish initiative brings together important players in the seafood industry with a shared goal: achieving complete transparency for all seafood, whether fresh or processed.

Campaign advocates are urging EU lawmakers to mandate that essential details—such as species, source, fishing gear used, and production methods—are clearly displayed on all seafood product packaging. They also call for restaurants to provide this key information to consumers, thus, advancing the movement toward more sustainable, equitable, and responsible seafood practices throughout the supply chain.

 

Respectful Engagement and True Participation: LIFE’s Executive Secretary Marta Cavallé Addresses NGOs and Donors on Small-Scale Fisheries Support

Marta Cavallé, Executive Secretary of LIFE, recently addressed participants in a webinar on the Rules of Conduct, organized by CAPE-CFFA and the RISE UP initiative. The Rules of Conduct are a set of guidelines addressed at organisations and partners that wish to work with small-scale fishers in the context of marine and coastal conservation. This event was designed for an audience of NGOs, donors, and other institutions involved in supporting small-scale fisheries (SSF), with the goal of fostering respectful and meaningful engagement with these communities. One of the guiding principles behind the Rules of Conduct is “nothing about us without us”, respecting the rights of fishers and fishing communities to represent themselves in policy decisions that affect them, and to be at the negotiating table themselves. 

During her intervention, Cavallé emphasized the importance of genuine stakeholder participation when working with SSF and the “right to our own voice”. She highlighted the need for NGOs and institutions to approach small-scale fishers as equal partners, respecting their knowledge, traditions, and rights. The webinar aimed to guide participants in building better relationships with SSF communities, ensuring that their voices are truly heard and considered in decision-making processes. Cavallé’s contribution underscored LIFE’s commitment to advocating for fair and inclusive fisheries governance across Europe and beyond.

 

MEPs on the PECH Committee reject EC Proposal on Baltic Sea Multi Annual Plan

The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee rejected the EC proposal to remove the so-called 5 percent rule from the EU’s Baltic Sea fisheries management plan, a rule designed to prevent the collapse of fish stocks. According to LIFE, the EC proposal undermines the socio economic viability of the fishing industry, in particular the small-scale fleet segment, by removing a key fish stock recovery mechanism. Ensuring fish stocks are above Blim (the stock size below which there is a high risk of reduced recruitment) is essential for the viability and sustainability of fishing companies, and this rule (Article 4.6 of the MAP) therefore has positive benefits. 

For further information see LIFE’s position and this article by Fishsec. 

 

Coming up

30/9 – 4/10 LIFE staff and members from Denmark, France, Spain, UK and Ireland will take part in the Oceans week, a significant initiative including debates, exhibitions and other events to celebrate Europe’s seas and explore how to rebuild their abundance. Events include:

• 30/9 We stand for transparent and fair fishing – a photographic exhibition
• 1/10 Rethink Fisheries! For Thriving Seas and Communities
• 2/10 Ocean lab – MEPs: meet the ocean 
• 3/10 Driving the Energy Transition and Climate Resilience in EU Fisheries
• 3/10 Balancing nature, climate and people at sea: Nature-positive offshore wind

9 – 11/10 Conil de Frontera, Spain: The OPP72 celebrates the III International Congress of Small-Scale Artisanal Fisheries, inviting fishers to engage in a global discussion on “The Blue Economy versus Food Sovereignty.” and regional perspective on critical issues, including the impacts of climate change on coastal areas, governance and co-management systems, and the importance of tenure and local fishing rights. 

Get in touch: communications@lifeplatform.eu