Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Newsletter

 

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Newsletter

Follow us

In this issue Foreword News Stories of the month Map of the month Events Funding opportunities Publications and studies

Foreword

Dear readers, In her State of the Union speech, President von der Leyen underlined the place of the Arctic at the heart of our cooperation with Canada, highlighting its relevance on both the international and EU agendas. On the EU side, we have just held our annual EU Arctic Forum and Indigenous Peoples’ and Youth Dialogues, featuring a Youth Policy Dialogue between young Arctic advocates and Commissioners Kadis and Micallef. Keep an eye out this week for the United Nations General Assembly, where President von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Carney will present some exciting news on ocean observation on the international scene. On the fisheries front, we proposed the 2027 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea, and for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, while the NEAFC measures to curb unsustainable Russian mackerel fishing have now entered into force.  Finally, the Commission just adopted a proposal for a targeted amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation to simplify and facilitate access to funding for fishers and aquaculture producers. Warm regards, Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries @vitcheva_eu

News

Commission proposes to simplify fisheries and aquaculture funding The European Commission proposed a targeted amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation to simplify and facilitate access to funding for fishers and aquaculture producers.   more   Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2027 in the Baltic Sea The Commission has adopted its proposal for the 2027 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea. The proposal sets the total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for the ten EU-managed fish stocks in the Baltic Sea   more   Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2027 in the Mediterranean and Black Seas The proposal promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and delivers on the political commitments made in the MedFish4Ever and Sofia Declarations.   more   NEAFC measures to curb unsustainable Russian mackerel fishing enter into force Measures adopted by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) to address unsustainable Russian mackerel fishing in the North-East Atlantic have officially entered into force.   more   Commission boosts maritime manufacturing with new EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance The European Commission has officially launched the new EU Industrial Maritime Value Chains Alliance, following up on its commitment in the recently adopted European Industrial Maritime Strategy.   more   Commission proposes extending the Bay of Biscay fishing closure to protect dolphins into winter 2027 The Commission has proposed extending the annual winter closure in the Bay of Biscay into winter 2027 for fishing vessels over eight metres to help prevent catches of common dolphins and other small cetaceans - which are strictly protected species under the EU Habitats Directive.   more   A new strategic vision for the EU’s outermost regions: Strengthening the Union’s global reach The European Commission has adopted a Communication setting out a new strategic vision for the EU’s outermost regions - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin (France), the Azores, Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain).   more   EU Missions drive systemic change, new assessment shows The five EU Missions in Horizon Europe are delivering tangible positive results in addressing some of Europe's most pressing societal challenges through scientific and technological innovation, according to a mid-term assessment published today by the European Commission.   more

Stories of the month

Siblings in Málaga pave a safer and more sustainable life on board Maria Teresa (26) and her brother Gabriel (30) are proving that the future of fishing can be safer, smarter and more sustainable. When their parents decided to stop fishing, the siblings wanted to continue their family tradition.   more   Oyster Heaven: Rebuilding reefs and restoring seas Netherlands-based company Oyster Heaven is working to restore coastal ecosystems by developing scalable oyster reef restoration projects across Europe and beyond.   more   ImproFish: advancing the science behind herring fisheries in the Gulf of Bothnia Over recent decades, herrings in the Gulf of Bothnia have grown more slowly. Several factors could be behind these changes, but a clearer understanding of the actual causes is needed. Closing this knowledge gap is the aim of ImproFish.   more

Map of the month

Annual catches by country This map shows the total annual catch of fishery products in 2024 for EU countries and other major fishing nations, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and Türkiye. The data come from Eurostat.   more

Events

OceanEye International Alliance: Stronger Together for Ocean Observation Date 23/09/2026 Venue United Nations Headquarters, Conference Building, Level 1-B, Conference Room 3, New York City   more   BlueInvest Africa Date 02/11/2026 - 03/11/2026 Venue Cape Town, South Africa Registration Registration open until 1 November 2026   more

Funding opportunities

European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) - Global Data Service Deadline 02/10/2026   more   EMODnet Lot 1 - Biology and Lot 2 - Seabed Habitats Deadline 23/10/2026   more

Publications and studies

EMFAF study on financing investments in EU fishing fleet, aquaculture and processing sectors   more   Med&BS RDBFIS-III, establishment of the regional database for the Mediterranean and Black seas   more   EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 8/2026   more

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