Europêche/ETF

Last Friday, the Commissioner for environment, oceans and fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, attended the plenary of the European Social Dialogue Committee for sea fisheries. The social partners, ETF and Europeche, had a constructive dialogue with the Commissioner about the social dimension of the CFP. Fishing sector representatives called on the Commission to seriously take into account the fact that fish workers and the livelihood of their families very much depend on the decisions taken in Brussels. Yet, despite the fact that more and more stocks are fished at sustainable levels, the EU fleet and its fishers are disappearing year after year.

Europêche

Today, the Fisheries Council has reached an agreement on the fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, North Sea, the Mediterranean and Black Sea for 2021, and for deep-sea stocks for 2021 and 2022. The catch limits are set in the background of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the COVID-19, for which this and next year will be one of the most difficult periods for EU fishers. Despite the Council’s efforts to mitigate the predominantly austere proposal from the European Commission, the fishing industry is still left with several quota reductions and restrictive measures adopted concerning key species for the livelihoods of many fishermen and women in the sector.