The overall objective of this action plan is the transition to more sustainable fisheries in order to protect and restore Europe’s seas and oceans and ensure Europe’s food security and socio-economic wellbeing for fishers, coastal communities and societies at large. This action plan sets out a range of actions and support measures to better protect fisheries resources and marine ecosystems and to improve coherence and coordination between environmental and fisheries policies at all levels. This action plan addresses the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and human-induced pressures on the marine environment, as well as fishers and the fisheries sector, with a particular attention on food security and ecosystem services provided to fishers and coastal communities. This action plan lays down actions to secure a fair and just transition of society and the economy, in particular of fisheries communities to more selective, less harmful and less fuel-consuming fishing practices. Financial support will be provided to fisheries-dependent communities, in particular support for innovation and diversification of economic activities, support for the energy transition and increasing gear selectivity. In this regard, the Member States will increase national funding and encourage investments from the private sector to channel support for the transition, for example, smart specialisation strategies for a sustainable blue economy. Sustainable fishing and sustainable management of fish stocks will be ensured to protect ocean biodiversity and fight against climate change. Marine ecosystems will be protected and restored to make the EU’s fisheries more resilient against increasing threat from climate change, unsustainable or illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and other pressures linked to human activities, such as maritime transport, energy production, tourism, agriculture, and industry. Marine pollution will be prevented through a number of legislative and policy initiatives, notably from contaminants, agricultural practices, plastics or noise. Biodiversity conservation will be ensured by focusing in particular on marine protected areas and on ways in which fisheries management can contribute to more effective protection and restoration of their marine biodiversity. Fishing practices will be made sustainable by strengthening conservation and management measures, improving gear selectivity and reducing the impact of fisheries on sensitive species, such as reducing incidental catches; and reducing damaging fishing activities to the seabed and its associated habitats, including prohibiting mobile bottom fishing in the marine protected areas. The protection and restoration of the seabed will be strengthened due to its importance of storing and maintaining blue carbon in marine habitats for tackling climate change. The knowledge base and research and innovation will be strengthened for assessing the impacts of fishing on marine habitats and species, fish stocks as well as the social, economic and environmental effects of current and future conservation measures; reporting incidentally by-caught species; supporting research and innovation on the sustainability of fisheries and the conservation and restoration of marine biodiversity; and adapting current environmental reporting systems into the fisheries sector. This action plan urges the Member States to take action to implement, monitor and enforce the rules of EU fisheries and environmental legislation. Rules of the common fisheries policy will be revised to put in place an updated, more modern and more effective monitoring system to support the transition to more sustainable fisheries. The monitoring of fisheries, for example, by using innovative tools such as remote electronic monitoring, through enhanced catch recording and reporting of sensitive species and distribution of fishing effort, will be improved. The roadmaps outlining all the measures needed to implement this action plan, including timelines for their adoption / submission, and proposals to improve coordination between national authorities and all stakeholders, will be prepared and published.
2023-02-21