Prioritising access to low-impact fishers for the benefit of coastal communities

Interview with Executive Director and Vice President of Oceana in Europe Vera Coelho Cyprus is hosting a high-level conference today on strengthening the role of islands and coastal communities across the EU. What would be your message to the Cyprus government and other EU leaders? Cyprus is on the frontline of the impacts of climate change, overfishing, invasive alien species, habitat degradation and declining marine wildlife. Its direct experience makes it uniquely placed to inform and strengthen EU policy. With representation at EU level – including Commissioner Costas Kadis – Cyprus has an opportunity to elevate this expertise on the political agenda. Building on its EU presidency, Cyprus can continue to play an active role in shaping EU ocean policy and promoting practical solutions that support islands and coastal communities. At national level both in Cyprus and other EU countries, this includes supporting small-scale fishers, by giving them priority access to fish over more destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling. It also means ensuring transparency on fishing activities and seafood products and creating a fair playing field. A bottom trawler (Photo: Oceana/Juan Carlos Calvin) Oceana recently presented a new analysis on bottom trawling in Cyprus. What are you proposing to safeguard the island’s coastal waters? Oceana is proposing to create an exclusive coastal zone – also known as a preferential access area (PAA) – where fishing access is exclusively reserved for low-impact, traditional and small-scale fishing in Cyprus’ territorial waters – up to 12 nautical miles from the coast, and where bottom trawling is prohibited. We found that there is very limited bottom trawling in these waters, and removing this pressure would help improve the health of coastal ecosystems and directly support more prosperous and resilient coastal communities in Cyprus – at minimal cost. Local fishing communities across the EU are also calling for this. Why is bottom trawling so destructive and what types of fishing gear are low-impact? Bottom trawling is considered to be one of the most destructive forms of fishing, as it drags heavy weighted nets across the seafloor, and indiscriminately bulldozes everything in its path, from iconic species to endangered ones, which may never recover. But the damage does not stop with what is caught in the net. Bottom trawling can also damage the very places where marine life begins: spawning grounds, nursery areas and feeding habitats. These are the places where fish reproduce, where eggs develop and where young fish are able to grow. When these areas are repeatedly trawled, the seabed can be flattened, and juvenile fish are caught before they ever have a chance to replenish the population. It is also highly unselective and wasteful – many of the species caught in the net are then thrown away at sea or on land. That is why bottom trawling not only removes fish from the sea today — it undermines the ocean’s ability to produce fish tomorrow. There are several alternative ways to fish than bottom trawling, all more selective and less harmful for the seabed – such as pots and traps, gill nets or trammel nets, and longlines – which are currently used by Cypriot small-scale fishers. In what way would a preferential access area (PAA) support more prosperous and resilient coastal communities? Ninety five per cent of Cyprus’ fishing fleet and employment is small-scale. Cyprus’ coastal waters are ecologically important, economically valuable and vital to the small-scale fishers who depend on them. Beyond that, Cyprus’ economy is highly dependent on coastal tourism, and both protecting the health of marine ecosystems and strengthening their resilience is therefore not only an environmental priority, but an economic necessity. In this way, safeguarding the waters closest to home of small-scale fishers and enhancing the regeneration of habitats and fish stocks would support more prosperous and resilient coastal communities. Small-scale fishing boat (Photo: Oceana/Carlos Minguell) Are Cypriot fishers supportive? Yes, we have the support of the Union of Professional Coastal Fishermen of Cyprus, which has stated that a preferential access area throughout the country’s territorial waters can substantially benefit both the sea from which they earn their livelihoods and them and their families. They hope that reducing bottom trawling activity in deeper waters will increase their catches in coastal areas. What about the Cypriot government? The Cypriot government already proposed a full withdrawal of bottom trawling within the 12 nautical mile zone back in 2021 through the permanent cessation of Cyprus’ remaining bottom trawlers, as a measure to balance fishing capacity with the state of marine resources. We are confident that the publication of our analysis will help the government to make progress on this proposal. Are there any expected benefits for the climate? Yes, prohibiting bottom trawling in Cyprus’ territorial waters would reinforce ecosystem resilience against climate change impacts – which is urgently needed, given the accelerated rate of warming in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Healthier habitats, like Posidonia meadows, can better withstand higher temperatures and act as climate refuges for other species, including commercial ones. They can also act as buffers against coastal erosion. How do you know this model will work? It’s not a new initiative. At least 44 countries worldwide already have such preferential access areas successfully in place to support small-scale fishers, including Peru, Ghana, the Philippines, India and New Zealand. Other EU countries, such as Ireland and France, are considering similar measures. These designated zones offer multiple vital benefits by safeguarding biodiversity, protecting local livelihoods and providing economic opportunities for coastal communities. Is there any initiative at EU-level to create a PAA? Since 2006, a narrow PAA is in place in the Mediterranean Sea to protect coastal habitats within three nautical miles from the shore (or up to 50m depth, if it is reached at a shorter distance from the coast). But there are no other PAAs at scale in the EU, even if the Common Fisheries Policy supports the concept, as reaffirmed in its latest evaluation. For Oceana, the upcoming EU Ocean Act is an additional tool to enable preferential access to fish resources for small-scale fishers in coastal waters across the EU and to redress the current power imbalance between them and large-scale, industrial operators. This is why Oceana is calling on EU decision-makers to treat coastal communities as part of the solution to translate ocean priorities into action. Gorgonian (coral) (Photo: Oceana/Juan Cuetos) The EU is increasingly focusing on strengthening the role of islands and coastal communities. How important is transparency around the ownership of fishing vessels for ensuring a level playing field and protecting the livelihoods of small-scale fishers? It is essential. Coastal communities and small-scale fishers often operate with limited resources and depend directly on healthy fish stocks and fair access to fishing grounds for their livelihoods. However, these resources are often overexploited by large industrial fleets, often hidden behind opaque and complex ownership structures. Without transparency about who ultimately owns and controls these vessels, it is difficult to hold those responsible for unsustainable or illegal fishing accountable. For islands and coastal regions, where fishing is key to local economies, transparency is particularly important. It allows authorities and citizens to assess whether fisheries policies are benefiting local communities as intended, and whether small-scale fishers have fair access to resources and coastal waters. Ultimately, transparency is not an end in itself; it is a key governance tool that enables better decision-making, fair competition and sustainable fisheries management. Identifying who controls commercial fishing vessels helps ensure that marine resources are managed to support both environmental sustainability and the long-term resilience of coastal communities.