The European Commission has presented this Tuesday its roadmap to gradually eliminate trawling from all marine protected areas of the European Union (EU) by 2030, an objective that requires, as an intermediate step, that Member States detail the areas in which this method can stop being used with specific measures for the management of at least 20% of their marine areas, which must be defined by March 2024.

This was confirmed at a press conference by the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, who explained that these actions aim to restore marine ecosystems and reduce the impact of fishing activities on the marine environment.

The plan aims to reduce the impact of fishing on the seabed given its importance as hotspots for EU marine biodiversity, so the Commission calls on Member States to propose joint recommendations and adopt national measures to phase out fishing sliding fund in all protected areas by 2030 at the latest and not allow it in any newly created areas.

The first measures should be taken as early as March 2024 for the Natura 2000 sites of the Habitats Directive that protect the seabed and marine species.

This maritime policy package includes four documents: an evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy, an evaluation of the common organization of markets for fisheries and aquaculture products, an Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable fisheries and resilient and a strategy for the energy transition of the EU fisheries sector.

In parallel with taking action and presenting recommendations, the Commission expects Member States to prepare and publish roadmaps outlining the steps they plan to take to implement the action plan.

This planning should include, at least, details on the identification of areas where trawling should be prohibited, taking into account countries’ commitments to create new marine protected areas by 2030, as well as details on the fleets affected by trawling. measures in those areas.

In addition, by mid-2023, EU countries will have to finalize the limit for the maximum allowable extent of seabed that can be lost or adversely affected by human pressure and will have to adopt “without delay” national measures or, where appropriate , present joint recommendations to apply these thresholds.

In this way, the European Union (EU) responds to the commitments it assumed in the agreement reached at COP15 in Montreal (Canada) on a new global framework for biodiversity, also based on the commitment of the Biodiversity Strategy of the EU by 2030 to guarantee the legal protection of its seas with the expansion of marine protected areas from the current 12% to 30%.

The package presented by Brussels also includes the promotion of an energy transition to help the sector adapt its vessels and equipment, improve working conditions and move towards renewable and low-carbon energy sources. “We know that this is an arduous task”, the commissioner has acknowledged, for which he has advanced that the transformation will be gradual, at the same time that he has guaranteed dialogue between all the communities to lay the foundations of a “profitable, sustainable” fishing sector and resilient”.

In its communication, Brussels defines trawling as “one of the most widespread and harmful activities for the seabed and the environment”, which has sparked criticism from the sector, including organizations such as Europeche or the Alianza European Bottom Fisheries Association (EBFA) that reject the objective of progressively eliminating this gear.

“We must try to make the protection of the environment compatible with human activity and, in particular, with the much-needed production of food. Trying to turn our seas into marine sanctuaries would cost the world much more in deforestation and loss of biodiversity than in fishing,” says Europeche in a statement.

However, Sinkevicius has clarified that the Commission is not proposing the ban, but is asking Member States to apply all relevant measures before March 2024, and only then, when it has assessed the measures, can it present a legislative proposal, even if For this, it will have to carry out an impact assessment in which it has ensured that progress will be made with “caution” and respecting the social, economic and environmental principles that guarantee the longevity and profitability of the fishing sector.

In addition, he recalled that since one of the main issues raised in the consultations was the need to increase trust and cooperation between stakeholders in the fishing sector, Brussels has proposed a new pact for fisheries and the oceans as a “new phase of cooperation to foster mutual understanding”.

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