Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the kind invitation to speak at the Make Fishing Fair Forum. It is a pleasure to be here today among small-scale fishers, policymakers, scientists, and NGO representatives from across Europe.
As highlighted in the recently adopted European Ocean Pact, the small-scale fisheries sector is a pillar of our coastal communities.
However, it is disproportionately affected by major challenges such as climate change, rising energy costs, competition with other activities for space at sea, and difficulties in accessing fishing opportunities.
These issues demand urgent attention, and I am fully committed to doing my utmost to safeguard the future of small-scale fisheries, not only with words, but through concrete actions.
I firmly believe that together – also thanks to events like this one- we will be able to identify and implement the best solutions to support our small-scale fishers in overcoming the immense challenges they face.
Weve witnessed first-hand that when implemented properly, our legal framework works, and we can take effective actions to implement it better or even improve it!
The best example that comes to my mind is the state of the fish stocks in the Atlantic. The rate of overexploitation has declined significantly, thanks to the responsible catch limits that we have set collectively and that our fishers have implemented. To put it into perspective – in 2025, 60 stocks are managed sustainably, a significant increase from only five in 2009.
In contrast, the situation in the Baltic Sea remains alarming, as many fish stocks and ecosystems continue to be in a dire state. This severely impacts the small-scale fishing community, which supported the Commissions proposal for its cautious approach. As you know, the Council did not fully follow our proposal, which we believe would have better contributed to initiating the rebuilding trajectory in the Baltic Sea. However, there was a common understanding of the need to focus on a rebuilding trajectory and that is important.
In the Mediterranean, the small-scale fishing fleet represents 82% of the total fleet and accounts for more than 100,000 jobs. This context makes it even more important to ensure stock and fisheries sustainability.
All of this connect to one of the major initiatives of my mandate: the ongoing evaluation of the common fisheries policy (CFP) regulation. Scheduled for completion in Spring 2026, this evaluation will determine if the CFP remains suited to the current challenges.
At the same time, we are already working on defining a common vision for the fisheries and aquaculture sector into 2040, which will enable us to define, together, what the sector should look like by then. A unified vision is essential to ensure sustainable and resilient small-scale fisheries that continue to fuel the lifeblood of our coastal communities.
At the end of last week, we have just published an important Communication, a vademecum on the allocation of fishing opportunities by Member States. This recommendation aims to facilitate discussions with Member States on enhancing national fishing opportunities allocations, particularly for small-scale fisheries.
Finally, I am convinced that the new 2028-2034 budget proposal, will benefit the small-scale fisheries sector, with its framework that is more integrated, flexible and impactful.
In all of this, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that taking decisive actions also means actively involving small-scale fishers in shaping our initiatives.
I, therefore, look forward to hosting the implementation dialogue on small-scale fisheries next week. Together, we will discuss and identify ways to improve the conditions for small-scale European fishers.
It is imperative to bolster the sustainability and resilience of our more than 40,000 small-scale fishing vessels in Europe and thus ensure that fisheries remain the lifeblood of our coastal communities.
I wish you productive discussions.
