Splash out (the right way): 15 Recommendations for spending the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)

The briefing argues that the EMFAF is designed for outdated purposes and fails to address the climate and biodiversity crises. It urges EU Member States to use their discretion in operational programming to shift funding away from large-scale industrial fleets and toward small-scale fishers and marine restoration. The author proposes a 'FAIR' framework—Fair, Ambitious, Innovative, and Revitalising—to ensure the 6 billion euro fund supports a transition to low-impact fisheries and enhances the ocean's role as a carbon sink.

• The EMFAF is described as being designed for outdated purposes, failing to address 21st-century challenges such as the biodiversity and climate crises.
• The document argues that EU subsidies for the fossil-fuel intensive fishing industry lead to unnecessary carbon emissions and a cycle of overcapacity and fishery collapse.
• The EMFAF lacks sufficient mechanisms to prevent the increase of fishing capacity because engine power, the primary metric used, cannot be properly monitored by Member States.
• Historically, the predecessors of the EMFAF have disproportionately benefited large-scale fleets, with 80% of funds distributed to them, while the current EMFAF fails to prioritise small-scale fishers.
• The author recommends that Member States dedicate at least 25% of their national EMFAF budget to the restoration and conservation of the marine environment.
• The briefing suggests that generational renewal in the sector should be supported through training and business start-up aid rather than the acquisition of first fishing vessels, which often increases fishing capacity.

APA

ClientEarth (2021). Splash out (the right way): 15 Recommendations for spending the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). https://www.clientearth.org/media/nqqffjrv/emfaf-briefing_final_oct2021.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Splash out (the right way): 15 Recommendations for spending the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). 2021. https://www.clientearth.org/media/nqqffjrv/emfaf-briefing_final_oct2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Splash out (the right way): 15 Recommendations for spending the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) |date=November 2021 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/nqqffjrv/emfaf-briefing_final_oct2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2021splash, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Splash out (the right way): 15 Recommendations for spending the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/nqqffjrv/emfaf-briefing_final_oct2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }