As EU fisheries ministers prepare for the pivotal December Council meeting, we are issuing a united call with recreational fishers and environmental NGOs for a fundamental shift in how scientific advice on fishing opportunities is requested and used. In a joint letter to Commissioner Kadis, we urge the European Commission to ensure that future fishing limits and the science underpinning them fully align with the EU’s legal obligations and its broader ambition to deliver a healthy, resilient and productive ocean under the European Ocean Pact.
Across Europe’s sea basins, once-abundant commercial fish populations—from mackerel and cod to haddock and Baltic species—are showing alarming declines. Reversing these trends requires a renewed scientific advisory framework that explicitly prioritises stock recovery, precaution, ecosystem health, and the achievement of Good Environmental Status.The renewal of the Framework Partnership Agreement and the Specific Grant Agreement between the European Commission and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which is now imminent, is a decisive opportunity. We call on the Commission to update these agreements so that EU advice requests to ICES clearly seek rebuilding-focused, precautionary, ecosystem-based guidance, to champion lower fishing limits for 2026 where needed and to involve stakeholders more transparently in shaping future advisory processes.
By embedding recovery and ocean health into both policy and scientific advice, the Commission can steer EU fisheries management toward long-term sustainability, thriving coastal communities, and resilient marine ecosystems. We stand ready to support this transition and have requested a dialogue with the Commissioner to discuss concrete next steps.
