Joint NGO feedback to the European Commission on the “Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024” consultation

A joint response from eleven NGOs arguing that the EU has failed to meet binding obligations to end overfishing and wasteful discarding. The document calls for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be set at or below scientific advice, the implementation of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to enforce the landing obligation, and the integration of climate adaptation and ecosystem-based approaches into fisheries management.

• The EU has failed to meet its binding CFP obligations to end overfishing by 2020 and eliminate wasteful discarding by 2019. In 2021, 26% of assessed fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic and 72% in the Mediterranean remained subject to overfishing.
• Many fish stocks remain in critical condition, with over 20 depleted stocks in the Northeast Atlantic and 30 in the Mediterranean. Specific examples of severely depleted species include the European eel, cod, and hake.
• The NGOs recommend that Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and fishing effort restrictions be set at or below scientifically advised levels. They suggest setting TACs sufficiently below headline ICES advice to create a "climate buffer" and account for ecosystem needs, such as predator requirements for forage fish.
• The landing obligation is poorly enforced, with the European Commission initiating infringement procedures against Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain in 2021. The NGOs argue that setting TACs based on catch advice while illegal discarding continues leads to unsustainable catches.
• To improve monitoring and control, the document advocates for the mandatory use of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) and on-board observers, particularly for vessels over 12 metres and those with high discard rates.
• Fisheries management currently lacks climate adaptation considerations. The NGOs argue that overfishing disturbs the global carbon cycle and that the EU should develop harvest strategies and quota models that respond to shifts in stock distribution caused by global heating.
• Data-limited stocks are not being managed according to the precautionary approach required by the CFP and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, as TACs are often set above precautionary advice.

APA

ClientEarth (2023). Joint NGO feedback to the European Commission on the “Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024” consultation. https://www.clientearth.org/media/anqdcmg5/final_ngo-feedback_ec-annual-public-consultation-on-cfp-fishing-opportunities_030823-1.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Joint NGO feedback to the European Commission on the “Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024” consultation. 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/anqdcmg5/final_ngo-feedback_ec-annual-public-consultation-on-cfp-fishing-opportunities_030823-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Joint NGO feedback to the European Commission on the “Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024” consultation |date=August 2023 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/anqdcmg5/final_ngo-feedback_ec-annual-public-consultation-on-cfp-fishing-opportunities_030823-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2023joint, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Joint NGO feedback to the European Commission on the “Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024” consultation}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/anqdcmg5/final_ngo-feedback_ec-annual-public-consultation-on-cfp-fishing-opportunities_030823-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }