EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

 

13 March 2025   Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Newsletter

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In this issue Foreword   News   OCEAN by Euronews   Stories of the month   Map of the month   Events   Have your say   Publications and studies

Foreword

Dear readers, A big thank you to everyone who joined last week’s European Ocean Days in Brussels and online! It was a big success and all of you made it happen. Thank you!   We brought together researchers, policymakers, youth and industry leaders to tackle preserving Europe’s marine ecosystems and boosting the blue economy. Highlights included vibrant discussions on ocean literacy and fisheries science and flagship events like the Mission Ocean Forum and BlueInvest Day.   We also witnessed the very first Youth Policy Dialogue, connecting Commissioner Costas Kadis with young people from all over the EU to discuss the European Ocean Pact.   Our Ocean Pact was the main focus of the week – with the event on ‘Marine Knowledge for the Ocean Pact’ and the three Fisheries and Ocean Dialogues to help design the European Ocean Pact. These came to complete the 1st High-Level Fisheries and Ocean Dialogue held on 21 February.   We aim to unveil the European Ocean Pact at the European Maritime Day in Cork, Ireland, at the end of May. Don’t forget to register to the event!   In addition, have a look at the latest Eurobarometer on EU consumer habits regarding fishery and aquaculture products and tune in to the latest episode of the OCEAN TV series on plastic pollution.   Warm regards,  Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General  Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries @vitcheva_eu

News

European Ocean Days 2025: collective action for Europe’s blue future From 3 to 7 March , Brussels became the hub of ocean action as the European Ocean Days brought together researchers, policymakers, youth and industry leaders to discuss how to preserve Europe’s marine ecosystems and boost its blue economy.   more     Commissioner Kadis kicks off European Ocean Pact with High-Level Fisheries and Ocean Dialogue Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, has launched the first Fisheries and Ocean Dialogue, a crucial step in shaping the European Ocean Pact. The high-level roundtable gathering brought together a diverse array of policymakers, stakeholders, and experts to discuss the future of the EU's ocean governance.   more     EU takes steps to harmonise the collection of catch data from recreational fisheries The European Union establishes for the first time, a harmonised system to collect catch data from recreational fisheries in marine coastal areas across the EU.   more     Eurobarometer survey shows new trends in fishery and aquaculture products consumption 58% of Europeans eat fish at home at least once a month, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey on EU consumer habits regarding fishery and aquaculture products.   more     Commission and the High Representative present strong actions to enhance security of submarine cables Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen has presented the Joint Communication of the Commission and the HRVP to strengthen the security and resilience of submarine cables.   more     The European Union working towards litter-free coastal communities In the last 15 years several EU funding programmes have addressed marine litter under different perspectives. The outcome is a wide range of EU research projects and associated results and a newly released Free Litter Toolkit.   more     Taking stock of EU laws on the protection of seas and quality of bathing waters The Bathing Water Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive have been assessed to measure their current achievements and identify any potential for simplification.   more

OCEAN by Euronews

Euronews OCEAN Season 7, Episode 2 – Diving into plastic   Why is plastic pollution so dangerous for our seas? And what’s the most unexpected find in Venice’s canals?   more

Stories of the month

From seaweed harvesters to sea urchin rescuers: the story of Porto-Muiños Porto-Muiños, a family-owned aquaculture producer in Galicia with 25 years of experience in the industry, used EU support to develop a new aquaculture facility, where they use their business’ staple algae products to cultivate sea urchin for restocking local waters.   more     A floating piece of Cypriot history: the Lambousa museum Lambousa is a vessel like no other: it provides a glimpse into the rich nautical past of Cyprus. Once an old wooden fishing trawler, it has been restored and transformed into a floating museum thanks to EU funding.   more     RanMarine: innovative ocean-cleaning – supported by BlueInvest RanMarine, a Dutch startup, offers innovative solutions to fight water pollution. It has developed autonomous water-cleaning devices that not only effectively remove plastic waste but also address other major environmental challenges such as oil pollution and harmful algae blooms.   more

Map of the month

Seabed litter Each year, millions of tonnes of litter are produced from various human activities, with much of it ending up in the ocean, causing environmental, economic, and public health issues. The map of the month displays the percentage of seabed litter in categories such as glass, textile, metal, and polymer. Click on the map's graphs for more details.   more

Events

European Maritime Day 2025 date 21/05/2025 - 23/05/2025 Registration Register by 10 May   more

Have your say

Common fisheries policy – evaluation Deadline 21/04/2025   more

Publications and studies

Mapping of MPAs and their associated fishing activities in the Mediterranean and Black Seas   more

This newsletter is published by the European Commission's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Visit our website: Oceans and Fisheries