DG Mare, in a proposal to amend regulations to ease the impact of COVID-19 on the fishing and aquaculture sector, noted:
The fishery and aquaculture sector has been particularly hard hit by the market disruption generated by a significant drop in demand. The closure of sales venues, markets, outlets and distribution channels has seen prices and volumes drop substantially. The drop in demand and prices combined with the vulnerability and complexity of the supply chain (perishable products, important need of workforce) made the operations of fishing fleets and seafood production loss-making. Consequently, fishers are forced to stay in port and aquaculture producers will have to discard or destroy products within weeks or face exceptional stock management costs, including more space and feed for grown out fish that cannot be slaughtered due to drop in demand. The rapid decline particularly affects small-scale coastal fishing operators and fish producers.
The following is from Brian O’Riordan:
Hello everyone, Bonjour tout le monde
I hope you are all keeping safe and well in these difficult and worrying times. J’espère que tout le monde reste sain et sauf dans cette période difficile et angoissante.
Yesterday I was called by the Commissioner who wanted to know how the small scale fisheries sector is faring faced with the current crisis. I tried to give as accurate a picture as I could, emphasising that a large section of the small-scale fleet is trying to keep active, providing food locally, but is facing huge difficulties to do so: markets closed, fresh fish prices slumped, restricted access to storage and marketing facilities. There is also a large part of the fleet that has tied up because of restrictions and due to market closures.
He informed me about some new measures coming in today, to make it easier for member states to access EMFF for temporary closure of activities and storage aid. I explained that for those who wanted to keep active, this was no help. In fact storage aid will have a depressing effect on fish prices once the crisis eases. What fishers need most is income support, and support to sell their fish direct to consumers. He explained that such support can only be provided at member state level.
He was friendly and concerned. He has asked me to keep him informed.
Please can you let me know about your situations, and whether the small scale fishers in your associations are tied up, or are able to continue to fish, how you are affected by market closures, sanitary and other restrictions (isolation and social distancing) being applied.
Contact Information:
Brian O’Riordan
Executive Secretary
LIFE Platform
Rue Abbé Cuypers 3
1040 Brussels, Belgium
+32 02/7412433, +32 0486368855
lifeplatform.eu deputy@lifeplatform.eu