Ocean Act

Yesterday in Strasbourg, in Plenary Session, the European Parliament adopted a motion for a Resolution on “the impact of the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU on fisheries in selected fishing areas and sea basins”, reflecting many of the priorities currently being raised by small-scale fishers at European Maritime Day in Cyprus.

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament’s Motion for a Resolution on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). The Resolution paves the way for developing the Ocean Act, a new piece of framework legislation which aims to strengthen ocean governance in the EU, serving as a single reference point for all economic, climate, environmental, and social targets to protect and sustainably use ocean resources. It is set for adoption in 2026. 

Drafted by the French MEP Madame Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, Vice-Chair of the Pech Committee for the Renew Group, and from the French maritime region of Lower Normandy, the adoption of this motion for a resolution on the eve of European Maritime Day (EMD) is highly significant. EMD brings together stakeholders and decision makers from all sectors of the Blue Economy. 

The Resolution is also timely in the sense that coastal waters are increasingly dominated by big, financially powerful and politically influential players, encouraged by the rise of the Blue Economy and the green transition towards off-shore renewable energy. A red carpet has been rolled out for them, and fisheries are essentially being squeezed out in a highly unfair, unstructured and destructive process. 

In its current form, “the MSP directive tends to favour the expansion of capital-intensive and spatially exclusive economic activities, which could marginalise traditional, mobile and collective uses of the sea, in particular fishing”, legislators note. “Fisheries and aquaculture are strategic sectors for the security and sovereignty of the EU, particularly in terms of food security and maritime sovereignty, and contribute to the competitiveness and resilience of coastal communities”, and “the strategic value of these sectors should therefore be duly recognised in MSP”, they point out, noting that: “ensuring sufficient, balanced and predictable access to maritime space is therefore essential for developing competitive EU fisheries, as recognised by the European Ocean Pact”. 

The Resolution laments that the “current MSP legal framework has not satisfactorily delivered the expected benefits for fisheries”. For this to happen, “MSP must be inclusive, ensuring the early, continuous and effective involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including fishers and shellfish gatherers and their representative organisations, and communities in the outermost regions, through a bottom-up approach and throughout the decision-making process, ensuring that this involvement is appropriate, meaningful and not limited to a merely consultative role”.

The Resolution highlights “the essential role of small-scale fishing”,  and calls for “MSP to take this segment fully into account, particularly in terms of access to space, proximity to fishing grounds and the safety of activities”. It calls for “ a differentiated approach to the management of small-scale fisheries that includes preferential access within the 12 nautical mile zone for small-scale fisheries, low-impact activities and conservation projects”. 

These recommendations are closely aligned with the LIFE and Blue Ventures “Make Fishing Fair Roadmap”, which calls for an “Action Plan for Small-Scale Fisheries in Europe by 2026” and is currently being presented by a delegation of fishers at European Maritime Day in Cyprus. They also echo the Joint Call to Action for the Future of Small-Scale Fisheries, issued by the Union of Small-Scale Fishers of Cyprus during the same forum, reflecting growing momentum across Europe for fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient small-scale fisheries policies.

MEPs are calling for the implementation of a bottom-up, balanced, multi-use approach to MSP that would aim to avoid adverse effects on marine resources and biodiversity, and therefore on fisheries and aquaculture, and would ensure that these activities are not excluded from the maritime space. Their resolution highlights that “co-location of activities, such as fixed or floating offshore wind infrastructure can also be used to develop aquaculture, shellfish and algae farming and for the protection of habitats for marine fauna and flora or regenerative activities and for fisheries activities such as passive and low-impact fisheries”.

Four of its recommendations are particularly important for small-scale coastal fisheries, namely the call for:

• an increase in reserved areas dedicated to small-scale low impact inshore fishing within the 12 nautical mile zone and underpinned by co-management regimes
• the Commission and the Member States to recognise fisheries as a strategic and priority user of maritime space, essential to EU food sovereignty and food security, coastal employment and strategic autonomy, and to reflect this status explicitly in maritime spatial plans and in the forthcoming revision of the MSP Directive;
• a differentiated approach to the management of small-scale fisheries that includes preferential access within the 12 nautical mile zone for small-scale fisheries, low-impact activities and conservation projects; and
• co-management to be the model for governance and decision-making in MSP; with the benefits of allowing for the direct involvement of stakeholders, better management of fishery resources, the sharing of best practice and an approach tailored to local realities, particularly when it builds on existing and proven structures and on the practical knowledge of local fishing communities and other structures such as RFMOs. It stresses that co-management can also help promote generational renewal in the sector and strengthen the economic resilience of small-scale and coastal fleets. 

Whilst LIFE regrets that the Resolution falls short of calling for an Action Plan for Small-scale Fisheries in Europe, it does pave the way for such an Action Plan to be included in the Ocean Act going forward. Such a plan should be built on the principles of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) and establish a differentiated policy and management approach for SSF and larger-scale fisheries. 

This plan should include concrete measures with a binding timeline for the European Institutions and Member States to follow, with the following main objectives, to: 

• Restore fish stocks using better science and traditional knowledge to rebuild  ecosystem health 
• Protect SSF from competing impactful blue economy sectors by securing preferential access and tenure within the territorial waters, extending out to the 6 mile and 12-nautical mile zone where appropriate
• Apply adaptive co-management systems in all coastal areas
• Ensure fair allocation of fishing opportunities based on social, economic and environmental criteria
• Foster generational renewal by removing barriers and providing incentives, offering training, mentorship and decent livelihoods for young fishers.
• Build resilient communities able to adapt to climate change
• Guarantee fair access to sectoral support and markets
• Promote gender equity by recognising womenʼs contributions and ensuring equal participation and opportunities.

As Europe moves towards a new Ocean Act, the message from both policymakers and fishing communities is becoming increasingly clear: maritime governance can no longer be shaped solely around industrial expansion and competing blue economy interests. Small-scale fisheries must be recognised as strategic actors in ensuring sustaining coastal livelihoods, preserving cultural heritage, and stewarding marine ecosystems.

The European Parliament’s Resolution marks an important political step towards a more balanced, democratic and socially just approach to Maritime Spatial Planning. The challenge now will be to translate these principles into binding measures, effective co-management systems, and concrete protections for small-scale fishers on the water. For LIFE and its partners, the forthcoming Ocean Act represents a crucial opportunity to place fairness and inclusion at the heart of Europe’s ocean future.