Are all fished species “in balance” today?

The head of the Republican list in the European elections, François-Xavier Bellamy, assures that, thanks to quotas, “all the species we fish today are in balance or almost all”. This is false, many fish caught come from overexploited species.

“In Europe, we have the fishing model that respects the environment the most”, assures François-Xavier Bellamy. Less than two weeks before the European elections on June 9, the head of the list Les Républicains assures that the European Union is exemplary in the fight against overfishing. “We have quotas, which have ensured that all the species we fish for are now in balance, or almost all”he says on France Inter. “We have succeeded in ensuring that the most devastating fishing techniques are banned, we continue to work on it”, he continues. True or false ?

It’s wrong. Not all species fished today in Europe are “equilibrium”. In France alone, 20% of fish landed by boats come from species victims of overfishing and 2% come from populations considered to be “collapsed”, that is to say that the species is threatened by not being able to renew itself. These are the conclusions of the latest assessment from Ifremer, the research institute dedicated to knowledge of the ocean, published in February 2024. This means that these species are overfished and that they do not reproduce enough compared to the “maximum sustainable yield”, the maximum quantity of fish that can be extracted without harming its reproduction. These objectives are set in the common fisheries policy. Across Europe, the proportions of overexploited fish are similar to France, specifies Ifremer, and as shown by the latest report from CSTEP, the European institute.

In the list of the most affected species, we find hake in the Mediterranean, pollock, mackerel and even sardines in the Atlantic. Despite everything, the situation is improving overall with today 56% of fish landed in France coming from sustainably exploited species, compared to 39% in 2010. But the objective of 100% sustainable fishing is not reached.

How is this explained? Quotas at the level of each country and TACs (total allowable catches) at the level of the whole of Europe are however well defined in the common fisheries policy. The fishing pressure has decreased significantly. But, as Ifremer explains, not all species manage to renew themselves because other factors come into play. Environmental changes in particular can affect the renewal of species. Global warming, for example, can prevent certain species from developing when waters become too warm. Researchers are studying several hypotheses to understand the mechanisms that come into play.

François-Xavier Bellamy also says that “the most devastating fishing techniques have been banned”. It is true that certain techniques are now prohibited. Electric fishing, for example, was completely banned in 2021. This technique made it possible to send electric shocks to the bottom of the water to more easily capture fish.

But other fishing techniques, still authorized in the European Union, are still debated. This is the case with bottom trawling: boats tow an immense net, scraping the seabed. This technique is criticized because it does not select fish and protected species are caught. Trawlers are also accused of polluting and nets of damaging the seabed. The European Commission wants to ban this fishing technique in marine protected areas but member states, including France, are opposed. Last January, MEPs also voted against its ban.