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News about fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant fishing communities

 

Welcome on board to two new member organisations!

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) is pleased to welcome two new member organisations, further strengthening its presence and representation across the Mediterranean region.

Cooperativa San Leopoldo (Tuscany, Italy) is a cooperative committed to sustainable fishing practices and the development of local coastal communities. Its activities include fishing, seafood processing, restocking initiatives, and environmental protection, contributing to both economic opportunities for its members and the stewardship of marine resources.

Producer Organisation Fishing Cooperative Komiža (Vis, Croatia) represents fishers from one of the Adriatic’s most emblematic islands. The organisation plays an important role in promoting low-impact fisheries, enhancing market access, and preserving the island’s maritime heritage.

As of today, LIFE counts 40 member organisations across 18 countries, reflecting the growing strength and diversity of its network.

Their accession reinforces LIFE’s collective voice in the Mediterranean and contributes to advancing its mission to support small-scale, low-impact fisheries across Europe.

“The Island Fisherman”: Arranmore Song Captures Irish Island Spirit

Irish island fishers have a song dedicated to them. Written by Mr John Gallagher, a resident on Arranmore, in Ireland, with a long family connection to the island – his mother is the island’s oldest resident, and he comes from generations of Arranmore fishermen. “Island life has always been central to my family identity” he says. A songwriter who has collaborated with his cousin Jerry Early, Chairperson of IIMRO (a LIFE member), on songs about island life, Gallagher said he was inspired to write a song after fishing restrictions caused anger and frustration throughout the community. He was encouraged, particularly, by island fisherman Neillie Kavanagh to write the piece in support of fair treatment for island fishing communities. “The song tries to capture the emotions and resilience of the people involved” Gallagher said. The track is available on his YouTube channel and on major streaming platforms.

1/4 A practical definition of EU small-scale fisheries: LIFE’s position

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) has released its position on how small-scale fisheries should be defined in Europe, emphasising the need for a coherent and workable approach at EU level.

LIFE advocates for the definition used under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), which refers to vessels under 12 metres in length using non-towed gears. In its view, adopting a common definition is essential to ensure a fair application of Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy, to facilitate the sector’s energy transition, and to reinforce the role of small-scale fisheries in EU decision-making.

While acknowledging that other definitions exist, LIFE stresses that overly complex and too broad approaches will limit their practical use, defeating its final purpose and risking misuse. A straightforward and operational definition is crucial to effectively support fishers and sustain coastal communities across Europe.

14/4 French LIFE Members of the Brittany Handliners Association Meet with the European Commission in Brittany

 The Brittany Handliners Association, including Gwen Pennarun, LIFE President, met with the European Commission and national representatives during a field visit to Brittany. Discussions with officials, including Maja Kirchner and Caroline Alibert-Deprez, provided an opportunity to raise key concerns from the sector.

Fishers highlighted issues with the management of sea bass and pollack, pointing to inconsistencies between reported stock recovery and observations at sea, including declining fish sizes and catches by the industrial fleet remaining below authorised limits. Concerns were also raised about unstable management measures and reduced quotas in some areas.

More broadly, the fishers reaffirmed their support for a sustainable and diverse small-scale fishing model, while stressing the need for fair access to resources and better conditions for generational renewal. The current quota system, based largely on historical catches, was identified as a major barrier for small-scale and young fishers.

The meeting offered an important opportunity to highlight the challenges facing coastal fisheries and to call for more equitable and sustainable management approaches.

 

15/4 Pressures on the sector and longer-term funding priorities at the centre of the PECH Committee agenda

At the meeting in April, MEPs called for a revision of the Baltic Sea multiannual plan. The Committee adopted a report by Isabella Lövin (The Greens) urging the European Commission and the Council to use legal tools to halt the decline of fish stocks. Interestingly, the report calls for an assessment of how quotas are distributed among fleet segments, to better understand any link between resource pressure and allocation systems. Increased social and financial support for affected fishers and coastal communities was also highlighted.

On rising fuel costs linked to the geopolitical situation, the Commission presented support measures available under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). Since 10 April, Member States can activate emergency compensation. While most MEPs supported this approach, concerns were raised about budgetary trade-offs and the impact on other EMFAF-funded actions. Several Members called for complementary measures, including national subsidies, fuel price interventions, and greater flexibility under State aid rules. The Commission pointed to the need for longer-term structural responses, particularly through the energy transition, to be addressed in the upcoming Common Fisheries Policy review and the Vision 2040 process.

The Committee also discussed the draft opinion on the future EU funding framework (2028–2034), presented by André Franqueira Rodríguez (S&D). Priorities include reducing competition with other sectors for funding, supporting generational renewal, advancing fleet decarbonisation, and ensuring continued support for outermost regions. MEPs across political groups broadly welcomed the proposal as a basis for negotiation. Different issues were also raised, including calling on the Commission for increased budget ambition, dedicated funding for fisheries, and how to ensure inclusive governance (including small-scale fishers consultation) in the national plans set-up. The Commission noted that, alongside a minimum allocation for fisheries, additional funding could be accessed through a broader, integrated financial framework aimed at simplifying instruments while maintaining sector-specific support, but this solution is far from convincing decision-makers and stakeholders in the sector.

16/4 New EU Report on Fisheries Decarbonisation: LIFE Calls for a Fair Approach for Small-Scale Fishers 

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe, in its role Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Working Group Coordinator of the Energy Transition Partnership, followed the European Commission workshop “Achieving energy efficiency in Fisheries: Towards a common understanding of the energy audit”, held by DG MARE on 16 April 2026.

The discussions brought together key stakeholders to address the decarbonisation of fisheries and aquaculture, with a focus on tools such as energy audits. LIFE stressed the importance of ensuring that these approaches are adapted to the realities of small-scale, low-impact fisheries.

Building on recent work on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction pathways, which will inform the Commission’s upcoming Energy Transition Roadmap, LIFE sees this as a key moment to advocate for a transition that is both environmentally effective and socially fair.

In this context, LIFE calls for targeted support, appropriate solutions, and meaningful inclusion of small-scale fishers in decision-making, to ensure a just and balanced transition across the sector.

21-23/4 Round Goby partners visit

LIFE joined project partners and external stakeholders for a three-day Round Goby meeting in Simrishamn and Ronneby, focusing on product development, the fishery itself, and planning for the project’s final phase.

The first day centred on processing and product development, with pilot teams sharing results and a tasting lunch showcasing the culinary potential of the species. Study visits to Skillinge Fisk-IMPEX,  one of Sweden’s largest companies processing herring and sprat for human consumption,  and Rosbergs Fisk på Österlen provided a closer look at the practical realities of handling and processing round goby at scale. Day two moved out to the water, where fishers Bengt, Glenn, and Per demonstrated the gears used in the coastal fishery outside Ronneby, with participants following one haul live via camera, before a workshop explored the broader potential for round goby fishery and consumption across the Baltic Sea region. Bengt Larsson, a LIFE member and member of LIFE’s Board of Directors, was central to the day’s discussions. The final day was an internal partner meeting, reviewing progress and planning the six months remaining in the project. LIFE’s contribution focused on business models and how to overcome the practical and economic barriers to making round goby commercially viable for small-scale fishers.

 

15/4 Ostkustströmming receives EU Protected Designation of Origin

Swedish Baltic herring continues to gain EU quality recognition. Following Norrlandsströmming’s PDO status earlier this year, the European Commission has now approved Ostkustströmming, making it the first seafood product from the Baltic proper to receive the designation, and Sweden’s fourteenth PDO product overall. The application was initiated by Stockholms läns fiskareförbund, representing small-scale coastal fishers from Kristianopel in the south to Öregrund in the north.

To qualify, the herring must be caught using passive gears or trawl with a minimum mesh size of 32mm, and landed and sorted within 24 hours, criteria that directly reward low-impact, quality-focused fishing practices. As Anders Jansson, third-generation fisher and secretary of the association, puts it: “This is a unique product from a unique part of the world, and now we have confirmation of that from the EU.”

As with Norrlandsströmming, the designation ties product quality directly to place, fishing tradition and local knowledge. It also carries a pointed message: several of those behind the application have been explicit that greater market recognition for Ostkustströmming must go hand in hand with significantly reducing industrial reduction fishing in the same waters, otherwise there may be little left to protect.

23/4 The future of Bottom Trawling in Europe. 

Jeremy Percy, LIFE’s founding Executive Director and Senior Advisor, took part in a panel to launch a new report from the Pristine Seas Programme of the National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA. The study calculates that the destructive fishing practice of trawling imposes up to €16 billion annually in net costs to society. According to Jeremy Percy “Not all big is bad, nor all small beautiful, but where there is clear evidence that the economic and/or environmental costs of larger-scale mobile fishing gears outweigh any societal benefits from harvesting the resource, then it is right that alternatives are found and such operations are phased out” 

28/4 European Parliament Plenary adopts Resolution on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034. 

MEPs voted in Plenary to adopt their proposed negotiating position on the EU budget for the next period in Strasburg on April 28. This sets out their negotiating position ahead of the Trilogue process, setting out the Parliament’s political priorities for the EU’s next long-term budget. It calls for a dedicated and ring-fenced allocation for the Common Fisheries Policy, and opposes models that would integrate these funds into broader national plans. 

This puts the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) at the centre of the debate. Although the final budget has yet to be defined, members of Parliament’s Fisheries Committee and several political representatives have argued for increasing its allocation to around €7.3 billion, representing an uplift of roughly 20% compared to the current period.

The PECH Committee will discuss their position on funding under the MFF for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy at their June meeting.

30/4 Publishing of the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy: Progress Made, Challenges Ahead 

The European Commission has published its evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) over the past decade, highlighting a mixed performance. While progress has been made in reducing overfishing and improving management, fish stock recovery remains slow and uneven. Expected economic benefits have not fully materialised, with the sector facing rising costs, geopolitical pressures, and ongoing structural challenges—particularly for small-scale fishers.  

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Regulation came into force in 2014. This evaluation by the European Commission is grounded in extensive evidence, including targeted stakeholder consultations, public calls for input, and technical analyses. In the upcoming days, LIFE Board of Directors and Secretariat will undertake a thorough analysis of the document, with a view to developing detailed comments and defining their approach for the next phase. The full evaluation is available here and the official Press Release by DG Mare here. 

Coming up

3-5/5 Informal meetings of Agriculture and Fisheries ministers, Cyprus –  The informal AGRIFISH meeting brings together EU ministers responsible for Agriculture and Fisheries. On 5/5 Costas Kadis, the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, will present the main outcomes of the evaluation of the Common Fisheries, followed by an exchange of views among Ministers.

6/5 European Parliament, Brussels – PECH Committee meeting. LIFE will take the floor in the Parliamentary Hearing “Increase competitiveness in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors by reducing bureaucracy and regulatory burden” . The Pech Committee will also discuss the midterm evaluation of the EMFAF regulation(2021-27). According to the report, 20% of funds have been allocated to small-scale coastal fisheries in the national plans. However, this does not mean that SSCF has received this funding. It’s money that’s available in theory. It remains to be seen how much actually trickles down to them in practice.

21-22/ 5 European Maritime Day, Cyprus – A delegation of LIFE fishers and staff, in cooperation with Blue Ventures, will attend this European event to advocate for the “Make Fishing Fair” campaign. 

In the Press

10/4 Hook and Net Bringing Innovation to Crab Fishing https://mag.hookandnet.com/2026/04/10/2026-04potfishingagency/content.html

23/4 Telecinco – La historia de Elena Manera y Pat Bros y su vocación por la pesca artesanal: “No hay un relevo generacional porque no hay incentivos” (In Spanish)

24/4 Euronews – ‘We can’t have octopus all year round’: Why Greek chefs and WWF want people to eat invasive species

28/4 Phys- Europe’s seafloor fishing looks profitable until societal costs turn the math upside down

28/4 Fiske Forum Billion-Euro trawl study’s claims based on discredited science https://fiskerforum.com/billion-euro-trawl-studys-claims-based-on-discredited-science/

28/4 Press release by DG Mare – New study on fishing fleet capacity and sustainability

28/4 Mediapart – Lobbying industriel et sacrifice de la pêche artisanale : plongée dans les coulisses de la disparition du maquereau (In French)

29/4 Research for PECH Committee publishes a report on Navigating the new MFF approach for 2028-2034 – Mapping threats and opportunities for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.  It compares the proposal with the current EMFAF framework in terms of sufficiency of earmarked budget and governance and assesses the threat of fragmentation and renationalisation of EU fisheries-related policies. It also assesses the potential role of the European Competitiveness Fund and alignment with the European Ocean Pact.

 

Cover Image @LIFE