Small-scale fishers in the Mediterranean are warning that their livelihoods are being squeezed as fish populations remain depleted and day-to-day fishing becomes less viable. With European Ocean Days approaching and the European Commission considering whether to reopen key fisheries rules, a coalition including ClientEarth, Oceana, Seas At Risk, and the Low Impact Fishers of Europe argues the central problem is not the design of EU fisheries law but weak and uneven enforcement by national authorities.

 

What Fishers Say Is Happening on the Water

 

The organisations highlight testimony from fishers in France, Spain, and Cyprus describing a steady decline in catch per unit effort and a need to deploy significantly more gear to earn the same income. Examples cited include coastal fishers in Cyprus reporting that they must set several times more net than in the past, and fishers in France describing how fishing effort for species such as red mullet has intensified as availability has fallen. The overall picture presented is of a sector compensating for lower abundance by increasing effort, a cycle that raises costs, increases pressure on stocks, and makes small-scale operations harder to sustain.

 

Why the Coalition Opposes Reopening the Rules Now

 

The groups urge the Commission to prioritise full implementation of the existing Common Fisheries Policy before pursuing reforms. Their argument is that the CFP already contains tools to rebuild stocks and protect coastal communities, but these tools have not been applied consistently enough to deliver results. They warn that reopening the framework without first fixing compliance and implementation could dilute ambition, create political space for weaker standards, and signal that the EU is stepping back from long-term commitments to stock recovery.

 

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Quota Allocation and Structural Disadvantage for Small Scale Fleets

 

A second concern is how quotas are distributed, which the groups say heavily favours industrial fleets even though small-scale fishers represent a large majority of vessels. They point to provisions in EU fisheries law that allow quota allocation to consider social and environmental criteria, arguing that these mechanisms remain largely unused in practice. The coalition frames this as a structural imbalance where industrial models receive more support and influence, while low-impact fleets are left with limited access to resources and weaker bargaining power.

 

Marine Protected Areas and the Enforcement Gap

 

The fishers featured broadly support Marine Protected Areas and acknowledge their benefits, but argue many MPAs fail because they are not properly implemented or enforced. The coalition’s message is that protection on paper does not translate into ecological recovery if monitoring is weak and rule-breaking continues, and that MPAs need stronger oversight and deeper engagement with fishers so compliance is credible and benefits are shared.

 

What They Want the Commission to Do Next

 

The coalition is asking the Commission to take small-scale fishers’ experience more seriously during the ongoing evaluation of the CFP and to focus on enforcement, monitoring, and equitable application of existing rules. Their position is that rebuilding Mediterranean fisheries requires consistent implementation across member states, fairer access to fishing opportunities for low-impact fleets, and MPAs that function as real protective tools rather than nominal designations.