Ifremer

How are fish doing in Europe?

During the French presidency of the European Union Council, Ifremer partners with the Fisheries, Seas and Coasts Department of the Institut Agro, the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), and the Irish Marine Institute to evaluate the status of fish populations in Europe in 2022.

Overfishing may be on the decline, but improvement is uneven from region to region and the European objective of 100% sustainable fishing by 2020 has not been reached. Furthermore, climate change is inevitably affecting fish: their distribution has changed, their food is scarcer and their growth is impaired. Climate change presents a number of challenges for resource management and preservation, which is why scientists are committed to finding solutions.

Counting fish

Fish populations’ status and demographics must be determined before setting fishing quotas for different European Union countries.

Fish populations disrupted by climate change

Altered species distribution, less food and smaller fish: climate change has consequences for fish and fishing. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to the preservation of marine biodiversity.

Key terms

Is a concept hindering your understanding? This little fishing lexicon might just save the day!

2022 report

The 2022 report confirms the trends observed in the Atlantic over the past 20 years: decreasing overfishing and increasing abundance.

Improvements for more sustainable fishing

Scientists are putting their all into the search for ways to reduce fisheries’ impacts on ecosystems and preserve fishing resources.