Fishing businesses in the Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea are achieving record profits, thanks to the “solid recovery” of popular fish stocks like North Sea cod, the European Commission (EC) has said, adding that this progress indicates that the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) focus on sustainable fishing is paying off for both fishermen and fish stocks.
“When it comes to fisheries, the European Union is hitting our headline targets. More fish stocks are being fished at sustainable levels than ever before. Fishermen targeting these stocks are seeing their profits and salaries go up,” said Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
The responsible catch limits proposed by the Commission in the Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea have seen overexploitation decline, whereby currently 53 out of 76 stocks for which data is available are fished sustainably, compared to 44 stocks in 2017 and just five stocks in 2009.
For stocks managed wholly by the EU, 97 percent by volume are being fished at sustainable levels, said the EC. As a result, fish stocks in these regions have recovered to very healthy levels.
Northern hake, for example, has grown from 32,000 metric tons (MT) in 2006 to 265,000 MT today – an increase of more than 700 percent, while staples like North Sea cod, which was close to collapse a generation ago, has recently been certified as sustainable and is now back on supermarket shelves.
Fishermen are reaping the benefits of this recovery, said the Commission. In 2015, EU fishing fleets registered record-high net profits of almost EUR 800 million (USD 985.5 million), representing a 60 percent increase in two years, making fisheries one of the EU's strongest growing sectors.
Vastly healthy profit margins ranging from 16 percent to 47 percent – depending on the country – are the clearest sign yet that sustainability makes sound business sense, said the EC.
Commissioner Vella also stressed that the EC has made a priority of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, where overfishing is at its worst.
Where there are “teething problems,” talks are taking place with fishermen and scientists to find workable solutions, “while keeping our eyes set firmly on our sustainability target,” he said.
In 2017, scientists found only seven of the 60 Mediterranean stocks they assessed to be at healthy levels, while fishing fleets struggled more than their northern counterparts.
With fast and sustained progress needed, the Commission is stepping up its targeted action. Following last year’s MedFish4Ever Declaration for the Mediterranean and the Bucharest Declaration for the Black Sea, it is now working with international partners to translate political commitments into tangible next steps. There are also plans for the adoption of a regional plan of action on small-scale fisheries later this year.
