We are working to reduce the threats to marine life from overfishing and illegal fishing in our ocean.

Fish are a vital part of a healthy marine ecosystem, but their numbers are still depleting too fast, having a knock-on effect on countless other species. We make sure the laws protecting fish stocks in the EU are implemented properly and hold the EU, governments and fishing vessels accountable for sticking to them. We work with lawmakers, retailers and businesses to push for sustainable seafood supply chains. 

38%

of fish stocks in the North East Atlantic are overfished, 32% to a point that risks them disappearing completely

60%

of seafood in Europe is imported. The EU is the largest importer of seafood in the world, representing a total of 25.3 billion euros in 2018.

Visit our ocean hub

We depend on the ocean for a healthy and stable climate, and for food and water. It sustains all humanity and countless other species that call the earth home. But destructive fishing methods like bottom trawling, oil and gas exploration, plastic waste and the increase of global temperatures are destroying it at a rate like never before.

Together we can protect the ocean we all rely on. #OnlytheOcean.

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What we do

The EU is committed to keeping fishing at sustainable levels. Yet in reality, overfishing and illegal fishing still threaten marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

That’s why we work across law, policy, and advocacy to hold governments accountable, make seafood supply chains more transparent, and ensure public money drives the transition to sustainable fishing.

  1. Tackling overfishing

    We are helping to reform the system that polices overfishing, pushing for effective monitoring and enforcement. This includes introducing new technology, such as electronic monitoring of vessels, to make sure quotas are respected and illegal fishing is stopped.

  2. Amplifying small-scale, low-impact fishers' voices

    Small-scale, low-impact fishers are the real guardians of the sea. They use methods that protect marine ecosystems while sustaining coastal communities, but they are often left behind in EU fisheries policy. We work to ensure they have fair access to resources, a stronger voice in decision-making, and the support they need to keep fishing responsibly for future generations.

  3. Pushing for transparency

    EU law included a deadline for all fishing in its waters to be sustainable by 2020, but EU fisheries ministers continue to ignore scientific advice and set unsustainable fishing limits. So we’re putting pressure on the EU to set such limits in a transparent manner.

  4. Following the money

    The EU distributes almost €1bn in fishing subsidies every year. We’re making sure this money goes to help the fisheries adopt more sustainable practices, and it is not being used to increase fishing levels.

  5. Making seafood supply chains sustainable

    We’re working to promote responsible practices in seafood supply chains. We work with a coalition of seafood retailers to drive change and ensure seafood supply chains are transparent and traceable. We are also influencing policy at national and international levels and driving awareness amongst businesses of the risks and costs of unsustainable fishing.

  6. Making sure existing laws are implemented

    We aim to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing from seafood markets by making sure the EU IUU Regulation is implemented by Members States. We are also working to make the control of fish imports more thorough.

What we've achieved:

We worked to secure the Common Fisheries Policy, which came into effect in 2013 and has significantly reduced overfishing since. Now we are working with partners to take action to ensure catch limits in Europe are sustainable and fishing activities are policed – which is what the law demands.

Recognising the power that businesses can have on their suppliers, we work with the seafood supply chain to promote responsible practices and drive seafood sustainability. In the UK, we set up the Sustainable Seafood Coalition to ensure a healthy future for our ocean. We want all fish and seafood sold in the UK to come from sustainable sources. Already over 40 retailers and businesses have signed up to its codes of conducts - including 8 of the UK's 10 largest supermarkets. In Spain we also work with businesses to support Fishery Improvement projects as well as transparency and traceability