The health of the ocean is fundamental to life on Earth. It sustains food security, livelihoods, biodiversity and climate stability for billions of people. As we approach the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pass the midpoint of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, global ocean governance must be strengthened, not weakened.
For the European Union, that choice is particularly significant. Through its Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the EU has established one of the world’s most ambitious frameworks for fisheries management. At a time when the future direction of the policy is under discussion, preserving its core principles is essential, not only for Europe’s seas and fishing communities, but also for the EU’s standing as a global leader in sustainable ocean governance.
A policy that delivers results
The CFP is widely recognized as one of the world’s most ambitious and comprehensive fisheries management frameworks. Following years of overfishing and declining profitability, its reform in 2013 placed sustainability at the heart of fisheries decision-making. Progress has been neither uniform nor easy, but the overall direction has been clear: healthier fish stocks, improved management and a stronger foundation for the long-term viability of the sector.
According to the European Joint Research Centre, in 2003 only 27 percent of fish stocks in the North Atlantic were fished at levels below the maximum sustainable yield. By 2021 that figure stood at 74 percent, demonstrating the positive result of the CFP.
Progress has been neither uniform nor easy, but the overall direction has been clear: healthier fish stocks, improved management and a stronger foundation for the long-term viability of the sector.
The policy has not just contributed to positive outcomes in European waters. Its legally binding commitments to end overfishing, restore fish stocks to sustainable levels, tackle overcapacity and destructive fishing practices, and promote access for small-scale fishers to marine resources also apply to EU fleets operating outside EU waters. Moreover, the policy is fully aligned with SDG14, which is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean’s resources. This is no coincidence, for it reflects a deliberate effort to ensure fisheries management serves both people and nature around the globe over the long term.
Influence far beyond EU waters
The CFP’s significance extends well beyond the EU’s maritime borders. As one of the world’s largest seafood markets and fishing powers, the EU exerts considerable influence over global fisheries governance. Through its Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements with non-EU countries, participation in regional fisheries management organizations and market requirements for imported seafood, the EU has helped promote higher standards on sustainability, transparency and labor rights.
At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, biodiversity loss and mounting pressure on marine resources, the EU’s leadership in ocean governance is more important than ever. International partners look to the EU as a credible advocate for science-based management that can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits simultaneously. Thus any move to weaken the EU’s own commitments would send a troubling signal globally.
A critical moment for the CFP
Today, it is widely perceived that the CFP is facing growing political pressure. It is observed that calls for reform seek greater flexibility on core sustainability provisions such as exploitation rates, fleet capacity and the discard ban. While policy frameworks should evolve in response to new evidence and changing circumstances, there is a clear difference between making constructive adjustments and undermining core principles and objectives.
International partners look to the EU as a credible advocate for science-based management that can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits simultaneously.
The central challenge facing EU fisheries is ensuring that those hard-won objectives are fully implemented, consistently applied and effectively enforced. Indeed, the European Commission’s evaluation of the CFP concluded that the policy remains broadly fit for purpose and emphasized the need for stronger implementation as the most effective way to address the challenges facing EU fisheries.
Credibility cannot be taken for granted
The EU has played an important role in shaping fisheries management and international discussions on ocean governance. Importantly, the recent release of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report shows that global fish stocks are being over-fished by 37 percent. Thus, greater effort is required, and by continuing to build on the strength of its existing framework, the EU can support global progress toward sustainable fisheries and provide a useful reference point for other countries pursuing similar objectives.
Weakening the CFP’s core provisions would risk undermining the long-term resilience of the fisheries sector itself. Sustainability is not a constraint on economic performance; it is its foundation. Food security, competitiveness and stable livelihoods all depend on abundant fish populations and healthy marine ecosystems.
The value of staying the course
Behind fisheries policy are people: small-scale fishers, coastal communities and future generations. They need predictable rules, sustainable resource management and a level playing field that rewards responsible practices. Strong fisheries governance is essential to meeting present needs without compromering the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It is about ensuring that coastal livelihoods can endure and prosper over the long term.
Sustainability is not a constraint on economic performance; it is its foundation. Food security, competitiveness and stable livelihoods all depend on abundant fish populations and healthy marine ecosystems.
The European Union has played a leading role in advancing global ocean stewardship. Its actions have contributed to progress toward international sustainability goals and encouraged others to raise their own ambitions.
It is self-evident that defending a strong, science-based CFP is an investment in the ocean’s well-being. At the same time, further elevate food security and the EU’s credibility on the global stage. In conclusion, I wish to affirm that true leadership is measured not by the willingness to lower standards when pressures arise, but by the determination to uphold them when they matter most.
Disclaimer
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The sponsor is FUNDACION OCEANA.
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