New European legislation on fisheries control has been approved

The digital recording of catches, including those from recreational fishing, the installation of closed-circuit cameras on larger vessels, and harmonized penalties across the entire EU, are all provided for in the new fisheries control legislation, which was adopted yesterday by the plenary session of the European Parliament, held in Strasbourg.

The new measures, which are included in the new European regulation, were approved by 438 votes in favor, 146 against, and 40 abstentions, and will contribute «to the collection of more accurate data, enabling better management of marine resources,» as all fishing vessels will be monitored and catches will be reported electronically to ensure full traceability, as stated in the relevant press release.

According to the new rules, all vessels must be equipped with a tracking device that will allow national authorities to locate and identify them at regular intervals. Certain small-scale vessels may be exempt from this requirement until 2030, while all small-scale fishing fleets will have up to four years to comply with the new requirements.

Specifically, all EU vessels, without exception, must record and report their catches electronically. This applies in particular to fishing logs, transshipment declarations, and landing declarations, while captains of fishing vessels under 12 meters will be able to complete and submit a simpler declaration at the end of the day, once their vessels are safely in port and before unloading.

For the first time, recreational vessels will also be required to report their catches through electronic systems to be set up by national authorities or the European Commission.

Harmonization of Penalties and Tolerance Levels

The new European regulation also addresses the significant differences that currently exist among EU countries regarding penalties, and, going forward, the value of the fishery products caught by a vessel will serve as the criterion for the minimum level of fines in the event of a serious violation (of the rules). The «tolerance margin»—that is, the difference between the estimated catch and its actual weight at the port of landing, will be set at 10% per species, with certain exceptions for small-volume catches and specific species.

Ensuring compliance with the landing obligation and traceability throughout the supply chain

To ensure compliance with the so-called «landing obligation,» EU vessels 18 meters in length and longer, which are at high risk of noncompliance, as noted, must have remote electronic monitoring systems on board, including closed-circuit cameras, no later than four years after the new legislation takes effect.

Those involved in the fisheries sector should maintain records covering the entire supply chain, from the sea to the plate, that is, from the first transaction through to the retail sale of fishery and aquaculture products. «Full digital traceability of fish and fish products should help strengthen food safety, ensuring fairer competition, and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,» the same announcement emphasizes.

Clara Aguilera: «The new audit rules will be harmonized and more transparent, with fully digital procedures.»

«We have reached a balanced agreement on the EU fisheries sector. The new control rules will be harmonized and more transparent, with fully digital procedures,» said the report’s rapporteur, Spanish MEP Clara Aguilera, a member of the Party of European Socialists, in a statement following the vote. «Fishermen will have four years to adapt to the changes, and the small-scale fishing sector will benefit from simplified reporting requirements,» she added, noting that «in this way, MEPs are responding to consumers» demand for information about the origin of all the food that ends up on their plates.”.

The new European regulation must now be formally adopted by the Council of the EU and will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU. However, it should be emphasized—as mentioned earlier in the text—that the various measures will be implemented gradually, giving Member States and fishing fleets time to adapt.

It should be noted that the European Commission has been proposing since 2018 a review of the fisheries control system with the aim of «modernize and simplify the rules for monitoring fishing activities and ensure compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy.».

Chrysostomos Bikatzik