Ken Kawahara, Secretary of the Brittany Handliners Association recently interviewed Gwenn Pennarun, President of the same association to reflect on the tough fishing season so far.  What is your assessment of the 2023 fishing season? 2023 has been a particularly difficult year. The fishermen in our association depend mainly on sea bass, which we start […]

En el año 2021, Bosco, nieto y hermano de pescadores artesanales de Ciutadella decidió comprar su primera barca de pesca y así convertirse en el pescador más joven de ese puerto de Menorca. Tiene 29 años, y después de siete años siendo marinero en la barca de su hermano, se animó a hacer el salto […]

Earlier this year the EU sought advice and recommendations from stakeholders regarding eel management after ICES provided advice on the European eel stock in November 2021 recommending catches be halted. In response to this, LIFE has together with member organisations participated in developing a joint position through the Baltic Sea Advisory Council as well as publishing our […]

Following a family tradition established by his grandfather and elder brother, 29-year-old Bosco, decided to buy his first fishing boat in 2021. This made him the youngest independent fisherman in Ciutadella in Menorca, Spain. After seven years as a crew member on his brother’s boat, he decided to take the leap that many fishers dream […]

Historical injustices have deprived 70% of the European fishing fleet of fair and secure access to fishing quotas and fishing grounds. This fleet segment accounts for 50% of the fishing jobs at sea. Due to these injustices, the sector has to fall back on “non-quota” species and so is restricted to only 5% of the […]

One of the problems facing the small-scale fishing sector is a lack of dedicated representation in the official bodies of the profession. This is particularly the case in France where small-scale fishers are struggling to unite to defend their interests. For Bertrand Cazalet, Secretary and Legal Adviser of the Syndicat professionnel des pêcheurs petits métiers […]

The Cofradías (fishing guilds) of Ibiza, Sant Antoni & Formentera, staff from the Ibiza and Formentera Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), and staff from Councils of Ibiza and Formentera recently announced the creation of the “Comisión de Pesca Pitiusa” or Piyiusic Fisheries Committee. The Pityusic (or Pine) islands (or Pityuses) form part of the Balearic […]

Brussels 1 April 2022 The European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius responds quickly to another crisis in the fisheries sector but stresses that mitigating rising fuel and energy costs must not conflict with achieving Green Deal climate neutral targets. Increases in fuel and energy prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have […]

Wither the Baltic Cod? The Future Prospects for Baltic cod and those of small-scale fishers are closely linked. Stockholm, 23 March 2022. The Fisheries Secretariat (FishSec), a Swedish non-profit organization advocating for sustainable fisheries at the EU and Baltic sea levels, is hosting an online event on March 24th to present its new report on […]

A Renewed Commitment: a decade on the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) renews its commitment to unite European small-scale fishers to achieve fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant communities. Brussels, 5 and 6 November 2021: Representatives of 26 organizations from 15 European countries attended a virtual “Fisher Forum” and General Assembly meeting organized by […]

The GFCM and the Friends of SSF are pleased to announce the 2022 programme of the SSF Forum!  Launched in 2020, the SSF Forum is a space where small-scale fishers from across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea come together to share knowledge, exchange best practices, and build their capacities to deal with the […]

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) calls on the Council of Ministers not to institute a closure of all eel fishing in 2022, as recommended in the ICES Advice of November 4 2021. This is not needed; it would be counterproductive and would do more harm than good. Rather “smart measures” are needed to […]

Tuesday 30 November, Brussels. The Fisheries Committee responded to the “own initiative report” (INI) on “the small-scale fisheries situation in the EU and future perspectives”. The report is being prepared by João Pimenta Lopes from the Left Group (GUE/NGL). The report is due to be completed by April 2022 and comes at a key […]

Brussels, 26 October 2021. The EU and its member states must transition to a more ecologically, socially and economically sustainable fishing industry – and already have the means to do so, according to a new report published today. The report, How the EU can Transition to Low Environmental Impact, Low Carbon, Socially Just Fishing, published by […]

Slow Food, Global Footprint Network, Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) and GOB Menorca launch joint project to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems Italy, March 4th, 2021 – Foodnected, a new project designed to promote the transition to sustainable and fair food systems in the Mediterranean region, will be launched on March 10 […]

LIFE welcomes Antonis Petrou, a Marne Biologist from Cyprus who works closely with the Pan Cypriot Association of Professional Coastal Fishermen, a member association of LIFE. Antonis recently joined the LIFE Team as Project Manager for a new project in Cyprus. The project aims to engage small scale low impact fishers in the co-management of […]

Promoting Sustainable Fishing in the Balearic Islands: Anna Masdeu Lalanza joins team LIFE to manage this new initiative. The Low Impact Fishers of Europe has teamed up with the Marilles Foundation (https://marilles.org/en) to launch a new initiative, the “Sustainable Fishing Programme” in the Balearic Islands. This seeks to build on the many years of experience […]

Deep Rooted Problems, Great Expectations: can the Ministerial declaration and regional plan of action signed recently in Malta turn the tide of fortune for small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea? Brussels, 5th of November 2018 Brian O’Riordan On 26 September in Malta, 18 Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal states committed themselves to developing […]