16.6.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 214/155 Thursday 19 January 2023
S.
whereas it must be ensured that the centralisation of fisheries management advocated by the CFP is compatible with the local management that is essential for ensuring the sector’s socio-economic viability;
T.
whereas regionalisation is one of the pillars of the CFP and the decentralised approach is of particular importance for the small-scale coastal fishing sector, taking into account the differences in the fisheries sector among individual Member States;
U.
whereas local co-management is key to ensuring the participation of the small-scale fisheries segment in the decision-making process;
V.
whereas the CFP therefore does not offer the clear and differentiated legislative support for small-scale fishing that could help to ensure its socio-economic viability; whereas the Member States are also failing to establish effective measures for this type of fishing;
W.
whereas, in many European coastal regions, and in particular in the Mediterranean, small-scale fishing and shellfish gathering operate at the intersection of the economic, social and environmental dimensions, making an important contribution to socio-economic well-being, employment and the promotion of economic and social cohesion in various coastal regions and outermost regions (ORs) that often face structural constraints and need support to harness opportunities for economic diversification;
X.
whereas income from fisheries should therefore not be deemed only as profit, as it also contributes to perpetuating a way of life that has immense cultural and historical value for many coastal communities, while at the same time providing an important social and economic safety net; whereas, in this sense, SSF represent a solution to increasing depopulation, ageing populations and mounting unemployment, which are all major challenges for most of the coastal regions of European countries and islands; whereas SSF’s influence on the social and cultural heritage of coastal areas is exceptional and diverse;
Y.
whereas SSF can play a fundamental role in the achievement of the SDGs, as explicitly recognised by target 14.b; whereas SSF can also provide contributions to the other policy imperatives underlying the SDGs, such as SDG 2 — ‘Zero Hunger’ and target 2.3 thereof, SDG 5 — ‘Gender Equality’ and targets 5.a and 5.b thereof, SDG 8 — ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ and target 8.5 thereof, and SDG 13 — ‘Climate Action’ as a whole;
Z.
whereas fishers have a role as ‘guardians of the sea’ and fishing makes a contribution to the supply of protein-rich foods for a healthy, balanced diet;
AA. whereas the vast majority of accidents and incidents on fishing vessels are the result of human factors (62,4 %), with system/equipment failures being the second most common cause (23,2 % of cases);
AB. whereas in many circumstances small-scale fishing is carried out with only one professional on board;
AC. whereas the safety- and comfort-related issues of the SSF fleet cannot be viewed in isolation from fishing effort and fish yield; whereas, in this regard, the gross tonnage limitation, as a criterion to measure fishing capacity, has a negative impact on the safety and comfort of the SSF fleet, as it limits the incentive to replace and modernise vessels or increase available space in order to improve crew comfort, safety and ultimately the attractiveness of the sector, especially for young people and women;
AD. whereas such safety-related issues cannot be viewed in isolation from the particularities of the SSF fleet in the Member States, such as the fact that the fleet may be exposed to high levels of risk as a result of the lack of specialised safety advice for the sector, the single-handed nature of operations, the long working hours or the danger of entrapment in the equipment; whereas operating conditions vary for the fleet; whereas part of the fleet operates from beaches or ports and harbours where operating conditions are very often precarious; whereas, in light of this situation, consideration should be given to tailoring the propulsion power to the fleet’s characteristics and the operating conditions, without increasing fishing effort or catch rates, with a view to making conditions for the fleet safer when entering and exiting port;