C 117/80
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
11.3.2022
Thursday 16 September 2021
80.
Stresses the significant contribution of fishers to the advancement of scientific knowledge, through both their direct involvement in the collection of fishing data and their collaboration with science in the provision of additional information regarding the state of the marine environment, species and habitats and the conservation thereof for scientific purposes;
81.
Notes that training for fishers can play an important role in continuing the involvement in and contribution of fishing activities to the protection of nature supporting the implementation and use of more sustainable fishing techniques, in accordance with the CFP objectives of sustainable exploitation of resources;
82.
Points out that developing marine research and innovation potential in the outermost regions is essential to driving the growth of the blue economy in those regions; adds, furthermore, that boosting their participation in international research networks that involve their universities, with knowledge of their unique characteristics, may help the outermost regions to improve their innovation systems and create jobs; urges the Commission to make an effort to equip these regions with the means to study and harness their biodiversity efficiently;
83.
Underlines the common fisheries policy goal of promoting selective fishing and the EU target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050; highlights progress towards a low-emission cutter fleet and innovative fishing techniques that contribute to the achievement of both the 2050 target and the selectivity objective; calls on the Commission to encourage and prioritise these developments in order to hold out prospects for the sector through innovation;
84.
Points to the joint development of shipbuilding and the scientific ‘triple zero’ approach: zero emissions, zero waste, zero accidents on board, encouraging a move towards the design of vessels in European fleets, including artisanal fishing fleets, along more circular, efficient and sustainable rather than mainly economic lines;
85.
Observes that, given the right training and specific skills, fishers could contribute even more to the advancement of scientific knowledge through the in situ collection and registration of environmental data, providing verification of that obtained by remote observation using satellites and other instruments; stresses the important role played by universities and marine research centres, in cooperation with sea schools, with regard to training fishers to meet this need; emphasises that in 2019, the EU fleet, consisting of more than 81 000 fishing vessels of all sizes, provided an incomparable number of platforms constantly collecting fishing and other marine data on an almost daily basis; notes that this is a facility that can and should be used, with suitable incentives to that end, for the collection of even more data regarding the seas of Europe and the world; urges official scientific fisheries advisory bodies such as International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) or STECF to make greater use of the data gathered by the EU fleet;
86.
Points out that the involvement of young people and generational renewal will not only ensure the continuity of the oldest activity of the blue economy, but also secure populations in coastal areas and surrounding rural areas, preserving the cultural heritage of many coastal communities; considers it to be of vital importance that younger generations are better informed and more aware of sustainability issues, with new knowledge, and of the need for all to contribute to tackling and combating climate change, which is having the hardest impact on sea and coastal areas around the planet;
87.
Believes that the fisheries sector would be more attractive to more young people if it was affiliated and complemented with emerging sectors, for example tourism; urges, in this context, the Member States and their regions to cut the red tape in fishing tourism as a source of income; calls, further, on the Commission to promote back-up lines, within the framework of existing EU programmes, for the restoration of the tangible and intangible heritage associated with maritime activities, preserving the identity of coastal communities and optimising their use for tourism;
88.
Notes that the protection of the environment is a growing concern for young people in Europe; stresses the importance of the sustainable management of fisheries to attract young fishers; calls for the promotion of low-impact fishing not only as a way to reduce the impact of fisheries on the marine environment but also to attract new generations of fishers;
89.
Points out that there is substantial untapped potential in fishing tourism;
90.
Stresses the importance of the inclusion of fishers in collaborative and community-based maritime spatial planning, for the sustainable development and protection of the marine environment;