What happens when the #CommonFisheriesPolicy is poorly implemented? We spoke with 47 fishers in Cyprus to learn from their firsthand experiences.
Some of the issues they raised include:
📉 reduced catches
🛑 the need for well‑enforced, partial fishing closures
Learn more📹
Today, Pandora’s Box landed in Brussels as a reminder for
Commissioner Costas Kadis: reopening the #CommonFisheriesPolicy risks bringing uncertainty and setbacks for the ocean.
Full implementation will protect fishing communities.
🎥 Across the Mediterranean small-scale fishers see the value of #MarineProtectedAreas for healthier ecosystems & more resilient fisheries 🐟.
But weak enforcement risks undermining them. #CommonFisheriesPolicy needs to be fully implemented✅.
👉 seas-at-risk.org/publications... #RethinkFisheries
We interviewed 47 small‑scale fishers in Cyprus to understand how the #CommonFisheriesPolicy works in practice.
They point to weak control & enforcement, limited admin support, and growing pressure from stock declines, invasive species, climate impacts, and recreational fishing.
Die Folgen jahrzehntelanger #Überfischung werden immer offensichtlicher: Auch in Nord- u. Ostsee verschwinden ganze Fischpopulationen und die 🐟 werden immer kleiner. Ein gutes Regelwerk dagegen gibt es schon, aber am Willen zur Umsetzung mangelt’s noch. Legt los, @bmleh.de! #CommonFisheriesPolicy
We surveyed 47 Cypriot fishers, and their message is clear:
📊96% say Government action is insufficient.
🇪🇺 As the EU evaluates the #CommonFisheriesPolicy in 2026, their voices must be heard.
Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwQAUk4_0mo
🌊 Small-scale fishers in the Med warn that fish populations are declining. 🐟
We don’t need a new law, we need to properly implement the rules of the #CommonFisheriesPolicy. ⚖️
#RethinkFisheries #EUFisheries #EUBiodiversity #EUOceanPact #CFP #AGRIFISH
seas-at-risk.org/press-releas...
🌊The #CommonFisheriesPolicy matters more than ever.
When fully applied, it helps end overfishing, rebuild stocks, support coastal communities and secure fair, sustainable seafood for Europe.
Read more in our blog👉 europe.oceana.org/blog/what-is-the-cfp-and...
🇪🇺-weit leiden kleine Küstenfischer*innen unter dem miserablen Zustand der Meere u. der Bevorzugung der großen industriellen Fischerei. Statt über Reformen zu diskutieren, muss die EU bereits vorhandenes Recht – die #CommonFisheriesPolicy – umsetzen u. damit Meere und Fischerei retten! 🐟🌊💙
Small‑scale fishers depend on a healthy sea. It’s their resource, their livelihood, their future.
The crisis they face isn’t caused by the #CommonFisheriesPolicy, but by years of weak enforcement & inconsistent implementation by national governments: https://bit.ly/4aNFAUf
📹⬇️
The pressures on Med artisanal fisheries 🎣 aren’t about the design of the #CommonFisheriesPolicy, but gaps in implementation & enforcement. 🌍 Let’s protect what works! 🐬
🎥 Watch the full video & read more: seas-at-risk.org/multimedia/v...
#EUOceanPact #EUOceanDays #MissionOcean #RethinkFisheries
Today we took our message straight to the EU quarter on two wheels. 🚴
As the #EUBlueEnergyTransition in fisheries & aquaculture conference took place, our banners called for keeping the #CommonFisheriesPolicy strong and not reopening it under the pretext of “energy transition”.
The future of sustainable EU fisheries depends on strong implementation of the #CommonFisheriesPolicy. With the 2026 CFP evaluation and Cyprus holding the @cy2026eu.bsky.social, our report highlights what’s working and what isn’t, according to 47 Cypriot fishers.
➡️ europe.oceana.org/reports/eu-c...
🆕 We surveyed 47 Cypriot fishers, and their message is clear: fish stocks are declining, and EU rules enforcement remains weak.
📊96% say national action is not enough.
As the EU evaluates the #CommonFisheriesPolicy in 2026, their voices must be heard.
➡️ europe.oceana.org/reports/eu-c...
A law is not worth the paper if not applied ⚠️
The Common Fisheries Policy #CFP is no exception.
In a new op-ed, read about why Europe’s fishers won’t be supported by rewriting policy that is already shown to work.
@oceanaeurope.bsky.social #CommonFisheriesPolicy
www.politico.eu/sponsored-co...
Europe doesn’t need a new fisheries policy, just to enforce the one it has.
In their new op-ed in @politico.eu, Maria Damanaki & Christodoulos Charalambous warn that reopening the #CommonFisheriesPolicy would slow action, harming fishers & coastal communities.
➡️ www.politico.eu/sponsored-co...
Our Executive Director @verampcoelho.bsky.social, together with other NGOs, met with Commissioner Costas Kadis to discuss the #CommonFisheriesPolicy and its ongoing evaluation.
We called for full implementation, control and enforcement of the CFP. Policy certainty and action are crucial.
Small-scale fishers are vital for coastal economies, but still left behind when quotas are allocated.
The #CommonFisheriesPolicy recognises them, but EU countries fail to ensure fair access.
On #WorldFisheriesDay, we stand with small-scale fishers & call for fair quotas 🎣
In Amorgos for the launch of the new Marine Protected Area.
Our Executive Director, together with fisheries inspectors from Cyprus, Greece, Italy & Malta, welcomed Greek authorities on board the #OceanSentinel— showcasing EFCA’s operational support to Member States under the #CommonFisheriesPolicy.
Our Executive Director @verampcoelho.bsky.social spoke at S&D's event on the future of the #CommonFisheriesPolicy at @europarl.europa.eu.
Our message: implement and enforce it. When applied, it delivers healthier stocks as well as better salaries, profits & more resilience for fishers.
The EU’s #CommonFisheriesPolicy delivers results: where it’s implemented, fish stocks recover and overfishing drops.🐟
But progress isn’t complete yet. We need full and fair implementation across all EU seas, for people and for the planet. 🌍
The #CommonFisheriesPolicy is the right tool to rebuild fish stocks, safeguard biodiversity, and support coastal communities.
It has already shown its value, both for the ocean and for the economy. But with stronger enforcement, it could work even better. 🌊🐟
EU Fisheries Ministers have ignored science again.
2026 Baltic quotas breach the #CommonFisheriesPolicy and the multiannual plan for the Baltic, risking collapse of herring, sprat & cod.
Short-term profits are being prioritised over long-term sustainability. ⤵️
📘 Our 2024 Year in Review is out!
💪 45,734 inspections
🎣 2,609 officials trained
🌊 7 Joint Deployment Plans
🤝 Cooperation with EU & international partners
Read more 👉 bit.ly/434z8FF
#FisheriesControl #WeAssist #CommonFisheriesPolicy
🇫🇷 French citizens are clear:
✅ 82% support more quotas for small-scale fishers because they protect local jobs
✅ 82% because they provide fresh, local seafood
✅ 80% because they can minimise harm to the ocean
Through the #CommonFisheriesPolicy, France can re-allocate quota in this way.
🌊 #OceanGuardian on patrol in NAFO!
Weeks at sea brought hurricanes, storms & fog — but safety always comes first while ensuring effective #FisheriesControl. 🐟
👏 Thanks to our inspectors & crew for their dedication!
#WeCoordinate #CommonFisheriesPolicy
The EU imports 70% of its seafood and has a significant international fleet — what happens outside EU waters matters for ocean protection.
This is Oceana’s position on the EU External Fisheries Policy:
➡️ europe.oceana.org/wp-content/u...
#CommonFisheriesPolicy
Oceana, together with nearly 30 organisations, contributed to the @ec.europa.eu consultation on sustainable fishing in 2026.
Our call:
✅ End overfishing
✅ Restore fish populations
✅ Put ecosystems first
The #CommonFisheriesPolicy works, but only if fully applied: europe.oceana.org/reports/euro...
🐟 Urgent Action for Baltic Fisheries 🌊
On Sept 3, FishBase co-creator Dr Rainer Froese (GEOMAR 🇩🇪) spoke at the EU Parliament, calling for urgent action to save Baltic cod & herring.
His message: restore marine ecosystems, support fishers’ livelihoods, & advance the reformed #CommonFisheriesPolicy.
📍Real operational example:
🔹 EO Enhanced analysis supporting operations in and with 3rd countries
#Copernicus makes the invisible visible.
#InternationalDimension #CommonFisheriesPolicy #WeAssist
