Press releases/news articles

Or how to produce delicious fish in a natural paradise (with a little help of the EU)

Aquaculture is a significant activity in many EU countries, producing around 1.2 million tonnes in sales volume and €4.1 billion in turnover in 2018. The three main production sectors are marine fish, shellfish and freshwater fish. Aquaculture also involves the production of algae and other marine organisms. New strategic guidelines for sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture have been presented by the Commission in May.

On 25 June 2021, the Agreement to prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean enters into force.This is an important step towards ensuring that any future fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean will be carried out sustainably.

Today the Commission published a report on the implementation of the Fisheries Control Regulation for the period of 2015-2019.

In this episode, we’ll discover the potential of innovative aquaculture to restore endangered marine ecosystems, produce traditional local seafood and provide valuable scientific material for cancer studies.

At the European Commission we know a thing or two about the impressive power of the ocean. But what if we use this power not just for food or health.

Illegal fishing is the world’s third largest illegal economic activity. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, it could value..

23% of worldwide catches, that is, 30 million tons of fish are thrown overboard every year. In most cases, the fish don't survive. A wasteful practice

Every year, the European Commission organises a seminar on fisheries science. The event attracts dozens of stakeholders from different areas to discuss and learn about topical issues in the fascinating world of oceans and fisheries. The focus of this year’s seminar was on marine protected areas (MPAs), and their beneficial role not just for the environment, but also for fishing and coastal communities.

The European Commission has published an in-depth analysis of Member States’ sanctioning systems for infringements of the rules of the common fisheries policy (CFP), covering the period from 2015-2019 and all coastal Member States.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) held its annual meeting from 7 to 11 June 2021. The main priority of the meeting was to discuss how to address the yellowfin tuna stock in the Indian Ocean.

The Commission has today signed the Written Record, laying down the details of the agreement in principle reached between Commissioner Sinkevičius and his UK counterpart on 2 June 2021, after the Council meeting this morning in Luxembourg had endorsed the agreement.

Why is the Commission reporting on the state of play and on the basis of which indicators is the assessment made?

Today, the Commission adopted the Communication “Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2022”. In line with the European Green Deal objectives, EU fisheries are moving towards more sustainable, supporting the transition towards a healthy and environmentally friendly EU food system and underpinning sustainable sources of revenue for EU fishers, the communication shows. The sector's socio-economic performance remains good, despite the coronavirus crisis, also due to the swift support of the Commission.

On this June 8th, as we celebrate World Oceans Day, we are happy to announce the 2021 edition of the #EUBeachCleanup campaign, aiming to raise awareness on the human impact on the ocean and build a worldwide citizens’ movement for sustainable action.

The EU and the United Kingdom concluded today the negotiations on an agreement in principle setting out catch limits for jointly managed fish stocks

The Commission, leading the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide, has issued a warning (so-called yellow card) to the Republic of Ghana that it risks being identified as a non-cooperating country in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Today, the European Commission provides guidance on the EU rules on single-use plastics and adopts an Implementing Decision on the monitoring and reporting of fishing gear placed on the market and waste fishing gear collected. These rules aim to reduce marine litter from single-use plastic products and fishing gear and promote the transition to a circular economy with innovative and sustainable business models, products, and materials.

An evaluation of compliance with the landing obligation (LO) in selected fisheries in the Baltic Sea carried out in 2017 and 2018 has found an overall good level of compliance with the LO in pelagic gear herring and sprat fisheries over. However, the trend in other demersal segments in the Baltic Sea remains concerning, with a lower level of compliance with the LO in the fixed and towed gears catching plaice, as well as towed gear fleet segments targeting cod.

From 31 May to 4 June 2021, the European Union is hosting the third meeting of the parties to the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). The PSMA is the first binding international agreement targeting specifically illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.