EU fisheries reform: small-scale fishers fear privatization of the sea as quotas favor industrial fleets (euobserver.com)

• EU revises CFP and Ocean Act; small-scale fishers oppose quota concentration.
• Historical rights system benefits industrial fleets, violates Article 17 of CFP.
• Campaign seeks fair quotas to preserve coastal communities and marine ecosystems.

"As the EU revises its Common Fisheries Policy and prepares the Ocean Act, small-scale fishers like Gwen Pennarun from Brittany, France, warn that the current quota allocation system based on historical rights is privatizing the sea. It disproportionately benefits large industrial operators while penalizing low-impact coastal fishers. They call for implementation of Article 17 of the CFP, which mandates environmental, social, and economic criteria in quota distribution, to ensure the survival of coastal communities and sustainable fishing."