News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   JOIN US on 30 September in Brussels! Rethink Fisheries Day – Pathways for a Just Transition! The Low Impact Fishers of Europe and Seas At Risk are organising this one-day event bringing together policymakers, fishers, scientists, civil society organisations and practitioners to explore practical […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   3/6 European Parliament PECH Committee: Looking Ahead to the Future of the CFP LIFE staff attended the June meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH), where Commissioner Costas Kadis presented the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as part of the […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   CFP Evaluation Report: Europe Must Do Better for Small-Scale Fishers The analysis of the evaluation of the CFP through the lens of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) reveals a general shared acknowledgement that the primary challenge is not the rules themselves but […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   LIFE contributes to EU calls for evidence on fisheries and coastal policies LIFE and its members have actively contributed to several ongoing calls for evidence shaping the future of EU ocean and coastal policies, including the Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture, the EU […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   3/2 EU Blue Economy Conference Brian O’Riordan, LIFE Policy Advisor, moderated the Fisheries & Aquaculture session at the European Blue Economy Conference, which brought together European Commission officials, NGOs, industry representatives and port authorities to discuss the future of Europe’s blue economy. The event […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   Public Consultation on the Revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive The European Commission has opened a public consultation in view of the forthcoming revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The revision seeks to reinforce the protection of marine ecosystems, streamline implementation […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   LIFE Elects its New Board of Directors  LIFE is pleased to announce the election of its new Board of Directors, bringing together a diverse group of representatives from across Europe’s main sea basins. This renewed leadership reflects LIFE’s commitment to ensuring that the voices […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   8/10 LIFE Board of Directors meet to discuss direction for 2025/2026 The Secretariat updated the Board of Directors (BOD) the most recent on developments, with a focus on the upcoming Small-Scale Fisheries Implementation Dialogue and LIFE’s role in it. This round-table is an integral […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   2/9 Baltic Quota Proposals 2026: LIFE Calls for Fairer Burden-Sharing on Quota Cuts to Protect Small-Scale Fisheries The European Commission has proposed a total Baltic Sea quota of 295,000 tonnes for 2026, over 96% of which is concentrated in herring and sprat for the […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   1/7 Strengthening Fisheries and Maritime Spatial Planning: LIFE at Key EU Dialogues LIFE participated in the third meeting of the Member States’ Joint Special Group on the EU Action Plan Protecting and Restoring Marine Ecosystems for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries and, the following day, […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   9-13/6 Advancing the Global Agenda for Small-Scale Fishers: LIFE at UNOC3  From 9 to 13 June LIFE participated in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, as part of the global delegation of small-scale fishers. The delegation reaffirmed the Small-Scale Fishers’ Call […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   Join LIFE at  #UNOC3 in Nice! The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (the 2025 UN Ocean Conference) will be held in Nice, […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   21/4 LIFE’s Contribution to the CFP Consultation Earlier this year, the European Commission launched a public consultation to assess the effectiveness of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This builds on the 2023 “Pact for Fisheries and Oceans” and the 2024 Call for Evidence on […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   LIFE Swedish Members Urge EU Commissioner to Take Action on Baltic Sea Crisis 27/3 Simrishamn, Sweden – LIFE representatives Bengt Larsson (SYEF) and Stefan Nordin (Kustfiskarna Bottenhavet PO) met with EU Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis in Simrishamn, Sweden, to highlight the Baltic Sea’s ecological […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   COMING UP: LIFE and Blue Ventures, with the support of MEPs Isabella Lövin (the Greens/EFA), Emma Fourreau, and Luke Ming Flanagan (The Left), are organizing the event “Make Fishing Fair: Unlocking Art. 17 for a Just Fishing Future” on March 25th from 12:00 to […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   EU Launches Review of Fisheries Policy, Seeks Stakeholder Input The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to assess its effectiveness over the past decade. Stakeholders can provide input until 21 April. This review, part of Commissioner Costas […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   LIFE Welcomes Swedish Initiative on Baltic Sea Fisheries Management LIFE Baltic members welcome the Swedish government’s assignment to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) to pilot a scientific project on spatial management for pelagic fishing in the Baltic Sea. The initiative […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   Making a Meal out of Baltic Sea Fisheries On 23 October 2024 the AgriFish Council reached an agreement on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2025. In doing so, they negotiated a package that leaves around  90% of the fishing quotas for the […]

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. […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   Small-scale Fishers Assess the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (RPOA SSF)  2024 marks a midpoint in the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (RPOA-SSF). […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   Seaglow: LIFE joins newly-launched Horizon 2020 Project to pioneer decarbonisation in small-scale fisheries The Seaglow Project (Sustainable Energy Applications for Green and Low-impact Operation of small-scale fishing boats in the Baltic and North Sea basins) was launched in Aalborg, Denmark this month. It combines […]

News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities   EU Arctic Forum: Indigenous People and small-scale fishers face similar challenges, share common values Climate change is impacting the Arctic more dramatically than other regions; it is warming 3-4 times faster than the planet as a whole. This is affecting the livelihoods and food […]