Oceana calls on France, Spain and Italy to reduce overcapacity, rebuild fish populations, and redirect funding towards a more selective fleet
A report reveals that too many fishing boats are chasing already overfished populations in the western Mediterranean, leaving many kinds of bottom trawlers unprofitable or only marginally viable, despite continued public subsidies. The report, commissioned by Oceana, identifies the need for a strategic shift by French, Italian and Spanish fisheries ministries to tackle overcapacity, rebuild fish populations, and redirect public funds away from subsidising failing operators, towards supporting more selective and sustainable fishers.
The report assesses the economic impact of the western Mediterranean multi-annual plan (West Med MAP) on the French, Italian, and Spanish bottom trawling fleets, and reveals a persistent, decade-long structural imbalance between the region’s excessive number of fishing boats and the low abundance of fish populations, an unsustainable situation that undermines both fleet profitability and population recovery. Both large French trawlers and small Italian trawlers have been chronically unprofitable for years, according to the report. Vessels compete over already overfished populations, a practice that persists since even before the nine-year period examined in the report and contradicts the plan’s objective of restoring fish populations to healthy levels – which has not yet been achieved.
Giulia Guadagnoli, senior policy advisor at Oceana in Europe, said: “The fleet remains oversized, and the populations remain overfished, perpetuating a cycle of economic instability and ecological degradation which started long before the West Med MAP was adopted. Instead of spending public funds on propping up unprofitable trawlers, ministers Chabaud, Lollobrigida, and Planas should redirect this money towards reducing the number of vessels and supporting a fair transition towards low-impact and resilient practices. This should go hand-in-hand with restoring fish populations to health, which is the one indispensable condition for long-term prosperity for fishers.”
The report recommends that the European Commission and the governments of France, Italy and Spain:
- Align public financial support and management measures with sustainability objectives: foster a smaller, more resilient and selective fleet that is able to operate profitably on healthy fish stocks
- Reduce overcapacity: encourage unprofitable vessels to exit the fleet and avoid them relocating to other regions
- Rebuild fish populations: enforce West Med MAP measures, like limits on fishing days, catch quotas, and promoting selective gear, to allow fish populations to recover
- Support a just socio-ecological transition: provide financial aid and training to help fishers and communities adapt to sustainable practices, retraining and diversification initiatives
- Invest in long-term sustainability: redirect subsidies towards sustainable gear and selective and sustainable fishing methods, as well as economic resilience of the fleet.
Report findings:
- Large French trawlers (over 24 m) and Italian trawlers (under 12 m) have been consistently unprofitable for years.
- French trawlers (under 18 m), Italian trawlers (over 18 m), and Spanish trawlers (over 18 m) are also chronically economically fragile.
- Only three kinds of bottom trawlers – Spanish trawlers (under 12 m and between 12-18 m) and Italian trawlers (12–18 m) – show net profit margins over the 10% threshold for long-term viability.
Up to 19 million euros in national public subsidies given to these fleets – as COVID relief, to compensate for reduced fishing days under the West Med MAP, and for the Ukraine war’s impact on fuel subsidies – have temporarily cushioned losses for some kinds of trawlers, but have not offset the underlying economic challenges for the rest, according to the report.
Image Credit: Oceana