Debate: Climate-resilient EU fisheries and aquaculture
Date: TUESDAY, 8 JUNE 2021
Speaker: Nicolas Schmit
Language: EN

One of the main priorities of this Commission is addressing the global challenge of climate change and its consequences for our ecosystems. While the EU does everything within its power to mitigate climate change, notably through the objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 under the European Green Deal, we must also get ready to face the unavoidable impacts of climate change.  This means we must adapt to the numerous devastating effects of climate change, mitigate the consequences and build our resilience. EU action to foster climate resilience through climate adaptation must involve all parts of our society and our economy. Achieving climate resilience in a just and fair way is essential so that the benefits of climate adaptation are widely and equitably shared and nobody is left behind. This is true for any sector of our economy and society – fisheries and aquaculture included.  Therefore, the new EU strategy on adaptation to climate change, which the Commission adopted back in February, foresees specific measures to increase the resilience of our fishing sector. More precisely, this new strategy follows up on three scientific assumptions established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Special Report on the Ocean in a Changing Climate of 2019.  First, over the 21st century, oceans are expected to reach an unprecedented temperature increase, further acidification, as well as oxygen decline and decreasing primary production. Second, starting sea—level rise is also an increasing worry for coastal areas, which are home to 40% of the EU population. Third, marine protected areas build ocean resilience.  More concretely, the tools already available under the common fisheries policy are essential to improve ecosystem resilience in relation to climate change, in particular by reducing fishing pressure and effectively governing the EU fleets. Moreover, the new EU climate adaptation strategy foresees that the Commission will, in its report of 2022 on the functioning of the common fisheries policy, assess how this policy caters for climate change adaptation, in particular in view of the large—scale changes in marine ecosystems. Let me stress, however, that the purpose of this report is not to prepare the ground for legislative reform of our fisheries policy.  As for the aquaculture sector, the recent Commission Communication on strategic guidelines for EU aquaculture, adopted by the Commission only one month ago, foresees developing dedicated sectoral adaptation strategies. The ongoing review of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive will also look into the climate aspects in relation to the protection of the marine environment, which both fisheries and aquaculture are part of, and the upcoming action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems will also exploit the synergies between the fisheries and environmental and climate policies. The new climate adaptation strategy also foresees that the EU promote the establishment of marine protected areas internationally, thereby building on the targets of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. As you know, under the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU committed to the protection of 30% of EU seas, of which 10% are strictly protected. In addition, the new nature restoration law announced by the biodiversity strategy will aim to restore marine and coastal ecosystems in order to achieve good environmental status of EU seas, boosting climate—related services rendered by marine ecosystems.  Meeting the targets at EU level will also raise the credibility of the EU to push for more decisive action against climate change internationally. In fact, at international level, the new EU climate adaptation strategy foresees that the EU will integrate climate considerations in the current negotiations on the protection of biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The EU will also engage with regional fisheries management organisations to promote climate adaptation and new marine protected areas. Let me also highlight the entry into force later this month of the important agreement to prevent unregulated high seas fisheries in the central Arctic Ocean.  Finally, it is important to mention that climate adaptation in relation to oceans is also addressed at the next United Nations Climate Change Conference. A dialogue on ocean and climate change took place for the first time in December 2020 at the Climate Change Conference COP25, and we will also continue to engage constructively on this front at the upcoming COP26. Before closing, I would just like to stress that the new European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund is also a key contributor to our Green Deal objectives. It supports low—impact and sustainable fishing and aquaculture, as well as actions that contribute to the good environmental status of the marine environment.  The Commission is determined to use all tools at its disposal, domestically and internationally, to build climate—resilient fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The Commission looks forward to further engaging with you, the Parliament, on this topic, which will be at the forefront of our fisheries policy in the years to come.