Filenews 17 November 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
The European Commission's recent announcement on strengthening small-scale coastal fisheries comes at a time when the sector needs a more balanced approach between sustainability, fairness and the resilience of communities living off the sea. The initiative, presented last week, calls on member states to review their methods of allocating fishing opportunities, enhance transparency and good governance, and pay more attention to small-scale fishers.
It also presents good practices, which Member States can adopt for this purpose. This is also an important development for Cyprus, where small-scale fishermen make up the vast majority of all fishermen.
For those who follow the developments, this move by the European Commission was not "a bolt from the blue". In addition to the long-standing findings and data available to the Commission services, the initiative is a continuation of a dialogue that has been ongoing for twelve months and which the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, has chosen to carry out through direct contact with the EU's coastal communities. Since taking office last December, he has visited coastal/fishing communities in a significant number of member states, discussing with local bodies, cooperatives, scientific institutions and, above all, with the fishermen themselves. These experiences were enough and important to form the basis for the formulation of the new guidelines, inoculating them with the views of the people of the sea themselves.
Small-scale fisheries account for around 75% of the EU's fishing fleet and almost half of employment in the sector. The challenges faced by those operating in this category are constantly increasing: high energy costs, changes in stocks, climate change, environmental degradation, invasive species and illegal or unreported fishing. The Commission, with its new initiative, seeks to give Member States tools that will strengthen the resilience of these communities and ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector.
Recognising the role of small-scale fishers and the challenges they face, Commissioner Kadis chose to dedicate one of the two annual dialogues organised by each Commissioner with actors from across the EU, to the implementation of European policies specifically targeting small-scale fishers. This dialogue, which will take place in Brussels a week from today, will focus on the effectiveness of these policies and possible measures to further strengthen them.
In a post on platform X on the occasion of the announcement, Costas Kadis noted that small-scale fishermen are a key support for coastal communities and that their contribution must be recognized and substantially supported. This position reflects an approach that embodies both the need to protect marine resources and the importance of social cohesion in areas that are economically dependent on the sea.
The same philosophy is reflected in the European Ocean Pact, a collaborative initiative that brings scientists, fishermen, environmental organizations, businesses and local authorities together. The Pact recognises the role of small-scale fishers as custodians of marine ecosystems and leverages their empirical knowledge in policy formulation.
There are already examples showing how this approach can work in practice. Initiatives such as "Amorgorama" in Greece and "Oceano Azul" in Portugal are often touted as indicative of how low environmental footprint practices can enhance both the protection of marine resources and the sustainability of local economies. These initiatives are actively supported by the European Commission and by the Commissioner himself.
Crucial step in a long-term process of change
The Commission's new communication is not a piecemeal intervention, but is part of a wider context of efforts towards a fairer and more effective fisheries policy. Its aim is to encourage member states to rethink their practices, build on best examples from other countries, and formulate policies that better meet the needs of their coastal communities.
As Europe faces major economic and environmental challenges, the debate around small-scale fishing is taking on new importance. It is not just a question of production or environment, but a field where tradition, local identity and economic survival meet. For Cyprus, this debate is particularly important and the actions of the competent authorities to further support small-scale Cypriot fishermen and, by extension, coastal communities are awaited with interest.
This Commission initiative serves as a reminder that substantial changes in European fisheries policy do not come through slogans or isolated and unsubstantiated protests, but through systematic work, dialogue and a deeper understanding of the real circumstances. These processes seem to be strengthened recently, with coordinated efforts and with an emphasis on the people who live and work at sea.
