European aquaculture and fishing recovering from barrage of crises – report

All this and Brexit too...

But Brexit has had longer-term structural effects on EU-UK trade. Although tariff-free trade was preserved under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, new customs procedures, sanitary controls and documentation requirements have increased administrative costs and reduced the fluidity of trade, particularly for fresh products.

“While EU support helped cover some immediate costs—especially in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France—administrative requirements remained higher, particularly for smaller businesses and EU member states,” the report says.

“For many companies, changing transport routes, including relying less on the UK land bridge, became a permanent rather than a temporary adjustment.”

EUMOFA adds: “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine significantly increased energy, fuel, feed and transport costs.

“Fishing boats rely heavily on fuel. Fish farms need electricity to run pumps and feeding systems. Processing plants depend on energy for refrigeration, packaging, and transport. When energy prices surged after 2022, the impact rippled across the entire system

“These cost pressures have raised prices along the supply chain and affected both fishing operations and aquaculture production.”

Yet despite these overlapping shocks, both sectors have demonstrated strong resilience and adaptability.

 Firms have diversified supply chains, expanded frozen and value-added products, and adjusted marketing channels, while EU policy instruments have supported crisis management and the transition toward a more resilient and sustainable sector.

The study was featured yesterday at the EUMOFA Talk, “Navigating Uncertainty: Building a Resilient EU Market for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products,” part of Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona.