Delegation of the Committee on Fisheries backs renewal of the EU fishing fleet

The meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) takes place from 13 to 17 April 2025. Prior to the event, MEPs met with EU Commissioner on Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, with whom they discussed the challenges faced by fishers in La Réunion and the urgent need for fleet renewal across the EU’s outermost regions. They also met with Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries, with whom they debated the Agreement on Biodiversity Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), and the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Following the meeting, MEPs Isabelle Le Callennec (EPP, FR), Željana Zovko (EPP, HR) and Eric Sargiacomo (S&D, FR) said: “Through our visit we have been able to understand how the negotiations take place between the EU and third countries. We have the will to persuade the Commission that the renewal of the EU’s fishing fleet for our fishermen is a priority.” In La Réunion, MEPs also listened to the grievances of artisanal fishermen from the Regional Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture of Reunion Island (CRPMEM), who reiterated their calls for the renewal of their fleet and pointe pointed that there are contradictions in the European Commission’s actions in the Indian Ocean. Protect tuna stocks Regarding the specific initiatives proposed in the context of the IOTC, the EU’s position focuses on...