Pact for the future of coastal fisheries 2050

Subject: Pact for the future of coastal fisheries 2050

The north German coast is known for its fishing industry. Yet the number of smaller fishing vessels falling. With continued high operating costs and ever new bureaucratic requirements, shrimpers and coastal fishers will still have to fight for subsidies and consequently for their economic survival in 2024. They have hence recently called for the development of a ‘Pact for the future of coastal fisheries 2050’ and proposed a variety of measures to ensure that coastal fishing can be practised in harmony with the environment. Some of these proposals require the support of the EU.

1. Is the Commission planning concrete measures to reduce the bureaucratic burden on fishers and to keep offshore wind farms and areas protected under the Habitats Directive (including the Wadden Sea) open to fishing?

2. What specific measures and financial support are available at EU level to help fishers switch to sustainable fishing?

3. How much funding is available from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund to support small and medium-sized fishing enterprises particularly in converting their fleets (e.g. new engines or cold stores) and developing regional value chains (e.g. setting up regional shrimp processing centres)?

Submitted:20.2.2024

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (9 April 2024)

1. Member States are responsible for administrative procedures related to the requirements of the Habitats Directive applicable to fishing activities. They must implement fisheries management measures necessary to reach conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites, which may require regulating fishing activities. To assist Member States, the Commission will publish, by end 2024, a guidance document on Natura 2000 and fishing activities. Complementing the Nature Directives, the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive requires Member States to look at the interplay of the different economic activities at sea. The Commission has no competence on access of fishing vessels to offshore wind (OW) farms, but it engages with stakeholders (1) and encourages Member States to explore possibilities to fish within OW farms.

2. The Common Fisheries Policy provides a variety of instruments to ensure that fisheries are managed sustainably. The Fisheries and Ocean Package (2) includes actions to support fishers to innovate, promote sustainable fishing practices across the EU and support small-scale and coastal fishers. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFAF) supports the energy transition (3) and Horizon Europe and Mission Ocean support research and innovation actions on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

3. The EMFAF supports the energy transition of the fishing sector and has a focus on the small-scale coastal fleet, enabling projects, under specific conditions, with a public aid rate of 100% (4) and simplified procedures. The implementation of the EMFAF is in the hands of Member States (5). In the German EMFAF programme (6) support to developing local value chains is made available under Specific objective 3.1 on Community-Led Local Development.

1 ∙ ⸱ Fishers are involved in public consultations on offshore wind projects, but also via the Blue Forum for sea users, and engaged with the Commission on a

regular basis with fisheries and aquaculture advisory councils. 2 ∙ ⸱

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_828 3 ∙ ⸱

Actions supported include feasibility studies on new technology, energy efficiency audits, development, test and trial of new technology, and improvement of energy efficiency through better hydrodynamic, gear efficiency and alternative fuels. 4 ∙ ⸱ Except for projects related to the first acquisition of a fishing vessel by a young fisher, the replacement or modernisation of an engine and the increase in volume of a fishing vessel to improve safety, working conditions or energy efficiency. 5 ∙ ⸱ in line with their programmes. 6 ∙ ⸱

https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/funding/emfaf-programmes-2021-2027_en#deutschland