Pelagic Freezer Trawler Association

Fish know no borders. Pelagic species like herring migrate, so our freezer trawlers also move between different waters. Whether vessels are big or small, fishers share a goal: providing healthy food with respect for the ocean. Follow our story right here over the next months.

Social & safety standards are a top priority for the PFA and its members. Through the @FISHplatform at the @IMOHQ meeting, Cor Blonk shares his expertise on working conditions and safety protocols in fisheries - recognising fishers’ essential role in global food security.

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Our fisheries scientist @Linadenijs shares our fishers’ passion for the sea and routinely goes onboard to collect data for scientific research for future-proof fisheries. Take a look at her work here 🐟🌊👇

How do we help scientists determine mackerel fecundity? PFA vessels collect spawning female samples for lab analysis of mackerel. Every 3 years, the Atlantic mackerel egg survey helps ICES estimate spawning biomass Discover how we do this here: bit.ly/4q5DcOu

The PFA and its members wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and nutritious 2026! 🎄🐟

📢 New collaboration announced! The PFA and Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries signed their Memorandum of Understanding aimed at benefiting from their mutual interests in scientific pelagic fisheries research. Read our press release here: bit.ly/3XXCGXf

Size doesn’t define sustainability. Freezer trawlers target abundant stocks under science-based quotas, using highly selective sonar and onboard freezing to fish efficiently. The result: wild-caught pelagic fish have one of the lowest carbon footprints of all animal proteins

Fish don’t stay in one place. Pelagic fish migrate a lot and experienced skippers know exactly where to find them! That’s why you’ll sometimes see several vessels in the same area, like right now with the herring fishery in the Channel. Take a look at the other fishing seasons:

Vrijdag ontvingen we secretaris-generaal @lapperre en het @minlvvn team aan boord van de SCH24 ‘Afrika’. Aanwezige visserijbestuurders en de SG benadrukten na afloop het belang om samen aan een positieve agenda voor vis als gezond voedsel en een sterke sector te blijven werken.

PFA fisheries researcher @Linadenijs gave a presentation at the Catch Welfare Platform Conference about our research into fish welfare. Events as this, involving relevant stakeholders, help to guide the next steps.

PFA Chief Science Officer @nielshintzen joined the fisheries innovation mission to Seattle — a week of inspiring talks and presentations, confirming the strong industry-science collaboration in Europe. The key insight: the way forward is science-based, data-driven communication.

On #WorldFisheriesDay, we honour the fishers and communities who help feed the world — the backbone of global food security. At last week’s @FISHplatform Conference in Bali, Cor Blonk underscored why the people behind the healthy food must be and remain a top priority.

@EU_Social Partners meet @CostasKadis to put #fishers at the heart of the European fisheries agenda 👉 Read our joint press release shorturl.at/yEMIw @ETF_Europe @COPACOGECA

We value the constructive dialogue with the EU Commission to address not only environmental and economic challenges, but also those faced by our most valuable asset: our fishers. Cor Blonk emphasised this in his opening statement of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee 👇

On #WorldFoodDay, we reflect on the importance of healthy food. Pelagic fish 🐟 offer a nutritious, affordable source of protein and vital nutrients — essential to nourish communities around the world. 🌍

📢Critical need for #mackerel sharing arrangement, EU mackerel still a responsible choice 🐟 Read our joint press article with @EAPO_EUfishPOs 👉 shorturl.at/1744s

In de Nederlandse Week van Ons Eten en op #VrijdagVisdag richten we ons natuurlijk op makreel. Het nieuwe advies voor het bestand en het visserijgedrag van landen buiten de EU is zorgelijk. Kies daarom voor EU-makreel uit de 174.357 ton die nog verantwoord te vangen is in 2026!

During Dutch Food Week and on #FishFriday, we focus on mackerel of course. The new advice for this stock and the fishing behaviour of countries outside the EU is worrying. Therefore, choose EU mackerel from the 174,357 tonnes that can still be caught responsibly in 2026!

EU pelagic industry position paper on fishing opportunities and Coastal States negotiations for pelagic stocks for 2026: 👉 pelagicfish.eu/eu-pelagic-ind…

ICES advice on pelagic fishing opportunities for 2026: ices-library.figshare.com