Despite the EU's fishing fleet decreasing in size over time, a new European Commission study reveals that there remains an imbalance between its capacity and the available fish resources

A new European Commission study has found that, despite a decrease in the size of the EU's fishing fleet over time, there remains an imbalance between its capacity and the fish resources available. On Tuesday, the Commission reported that the study had found the fleet's capacity to have declined, suggesting that there are now fewer or less powerful vessels.

Weak economic performance

However, the study also found that this has nWeak economic performance is often linked to those imbalances, with rising operating costs, market volatility, and pressure on fish stocks cited as contributing factors. ot yet to fully resolved the long-running mismatches between the fleet and the available fishing opportunities

The challenges 

The challenges affecting the sector's longer-term viability were also listed in the study, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing costs. It identified an ageing fleet and workforce as constraints on resilience and competitiveness, and highlighted vessel modernisation, improved working conditions, and the 'energy transition' — the shift to lower-emission energy sources — as areas that need to be addressed.

Understanding how the findings will inform EU fisheries rules

The study will inform the ongoing work of the Commission, which is responsible for evaluating the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The CFP is the EU's regulatory framework for managing fishing activity and fish stocks. The CFP regulates fishing capacity to maintain a stable balance between the EU fleet and available fishing opportunities.

Related : IMO : Global treaty on fishing vessel safety to enter into force in 2027

International experiences 

International experiences were also reviewed in the study, as well as alternative ways of measuring fishing capacity, with the potential to improve the effectiveness of EU fleet management. The Commission’s European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) commissioned the study, which was carried out by external experts using data analysis, sea-basin case studies, and stakeholder consultations.

# EU fleet #CINEA # European Climate #The CFP #European Commission study size shrinks,#resource imbalances