ReefScan

Sharing the tragedy of marginalised communities suffering #IUU @ #OurOcean fulfils promise to bring their voices to international attention

🇪🇺🤝🇫🇷 €13 million approved by the Commission to support France's fishers. Fuel prices have surged with the conflict in the Middle East. Our answer: 🔹Support for marine fuel purchased - 20 cents/litre in April, 35 cents/litre in May. More on METSAF⬇️ ec.europa.eu/commission/pre…

In Limassol for #EMD2026, meeting the people who make our blue economy.  Today, I had the chance to visit @LevantinaFish, a family-run maritime aquaculture farm. A great example of sustainability & innovation, showing off the potential of the #aquaculture sector for the EU.

…strengthened coordination and improved data sharing for fisheries control, including coordinated risk assessments and joint inspection planning. Read more here: link.europa.eu/8FkXWw 2/2

Without effective control, there can be no sustainable fisheries management. Under the Specialised Committee on Fisheries, the EU and UK agreed to an enhanced control framework covering more than 2,500 vessels, with a focus on... 1/2

Join the 'Marine Protected Areas in Action: Tools, Restoration and Governance for Healthier Seas' webinar on 12 May! 🌊 Register here:  eu01web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… @Cinea_EU @EUScienceInnov @EU_MARE @HorizonEU @Effective2327 @MSP4BIO_Project @oceancitizen_eu @BLUE4ALLproject

What’s new in #OceanScience? 🦞 New bottom trawling bans in UK Marine Conservation Zone 🐋 New study proposes #BBNJ roadmap to tackle knowledge gap in high seas governance 🌊 Ocean anomaly in the Bay of Bengal challenges modern oceanography Read on: ow.ly/w45150YUROE

🎥 How can fisheries and aquaculture be more energy efficient, competitive, and cut emissions? That was the focus of the Brussels Energy Transition Partnership conference. Next stop: #EMD2026 in Limassol, Cyprus, where the first ETP Champions will be recognised on 22nd May.

Honoured to close the #MedFish4Ever High-Level Conference in Nicosia today. Only by standing together can we secure a thriving future for the Mediterranean, where our coastal communities prosper. Looking forward to a renewed, bold and actionable Ministerial Declaration in 2027

This morning I was in the meeting of EU Fisheries Ministers hosted by @CY2026EU @CostasKadis presented the main findings of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation evaluation Eleven years after its reform, we take stock and reflect on what has worked and what could be improved

Half of Mediterranean fish stocks have started to recover since 2017. But over half of assessed stocks remain overfished. Today in Nicosia, the EU and Mediterranean partners agreed to prepare a new #MedFish4Ever Declaration for 2027: link.europa.eu/v7VTW7

On 9 May, the EU Institutions will be open to the public. 🇪🇺 This year’s #EuropeDay emphasises European independence and the protection of democracy. It also marks four decades of celebrating Europe Day and public use of the EU flag. Plan your visit: europe-day.europa.eu/index_en

Did you secure your spot at the European Maritime Day - the place where Ocean Leaders meet'? At #EMD2026, we will also host a workshop on sustainable tourism with challenges and solutions from our EU-funded projects. Join us⤵️ link.europa.eu/VCf6kd

At today’s Informal AGRIFISH meeting in Nicosia, I presented the outcomes of the evaluation of the #CFP. Though progress has been made in reducing overfishing, improving data collection, and building strategic partnerships, challenges remain. Based on this evaluation we will shape our 2040 Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture. As indicated by many Ministers, we will reflect if a targeted revision of the CFP is necessary. Thank you to Minister @riapan82 and colleagues for their engagement. #EU2026CY @CY2026EU @EU_MARE

Don’t get cold feet watching this! 🌊 My friend Morgan Maassen (@morganmaassen) just sent me his latest effort and he has captured something fundamental about our connection with the Ocean. “Rán: A Scandinavian Surfing Saga” follows Swedish big-wave charger Freddie Meadows hunting waves from the freezing Baltic Sea, through the North Atlantic, all the way to an Arctic Circle big wave discovery. Snow storms, tiny swell windows, and then one magic morning with snow falling at their feet while they score waves that rival Tahiti and Fiji. They even brought in legends Nic Von Rupp and Andrew Cotton for the mission. As a diver and underwater filmmaker, the raw connection these guys have with the ocean in such brutal conditions is seriously inspiring. Watch the full film at youtube.com/watch?v=-gvwj3… Big props to Freddie and Morgan for pushing limits where most people wouldn’t even go.

The compounding is the point is #typhoon recovery, then #energy cost spikes, then the next shock before the last one is absorbed. #COP28 closed with $700 million pledged. @BMZ_Bund @foreignoffice @USCLIMATEENVOY and others signed up. That is 0.1% of annual need. One country actually paid which was #Japan @MofaJapan_en. The @FRLDFund Board sits in #Manila. The Philippines hosts it while absorbing successive typhoons. The board exists. The money does not. @bfarph @DAgovPH and millions of stakeholder victims know this repetitive pain better than anyone. Their #fishers and #farmers are not a risk scenario, they are the ones currently paying the bill coming due for all of us globally, and often paying the ultimate price. @FRLDFund @UNFCCC who is collecting? #LossAndDamage #COP29 #ClimateFinance #FoodSecurity @FAO #Philippines

PPPs can offer good opportunities for aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa, from cold chains to modern farming tech and certification. But gaps in regulation and high borrowing costs still hold progress back. Read this @FAOFish paper to know more 👉 doi.org/10.4060/cc9252…

Yesterday in Brussels we launched the 1st Stakeholder Consultation on the European Commission Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy, bringing together stakeholders from science, policy, ports, industry and civil society to discuss how competitiveness and sustainability can be aligned in Europe’s ocean agenda. The programme combined an opening plenary with four focused panels: • Europe’s added value in ocean science, research and innovation • Research and innovation for ocean health • Research and innovation for a prosperous and competitive blue economy • Ocean technologies and uptake I was honoured to keynote Panel 3, showing how a truly prosperous and competitive economy depends on innovation that has use-case context, and highlighted the importance of connecting stakeholders at ground (water) level with society as a whole. This means reconnecting people with nature, and linking small-scale fishers, coastal communities and blue tourism to nation-scale adaptive management systems with anticipatory and predictive capacity for multidimensional security and sovereignty, while also driving valorisation to support the most vulnerable ecosystems, value chains (for example FISH4ACP), blue cultural food values and blue heritage. The consultation was moderated by Katrina Sichel, with speakers and keynotes including Spyros Kouvelis, Alan Haynie, Fiona Grant, Maria Grigoratou, Niall McDonough, Milen Baltov, Jan-Stefan Fritz, Cristian Mihai Adamescu, Isabel Sousa Pinto, Louis Demargne, Nicolas Pade, Marc García-Durán Huet, Cristina Simioli, Jaap Gebraad, David Bassett, Kinnie De Beule, Margherita Cappelletto, Holger Brix, Joaquín Hernández Brito, Uwe von Lukas, Antonella Calvia-Goetz, Craig Donlon, Pierre Bahurel, Fedra Francocci, Figen Ayan and many other contributors. My thanks to Commissioners Costas Kadis and Ekaterina Zaharieva; Joanna Drake; Delilah Al Khudhairy; Andreea Strachinescu; Kestutis Sadauskas; and the Mission Ocean secretariat team Jacques Delsalle, Evelyn Paredes Coral, Roberta Zobbi, Vicente Fernández, Juan Carlos Del Rio and John Hanus, as well as colleagues such as Kieran Coleman, for making this consultation a substantive and forward-looking step toward the future Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy.

What is FISH4ACP? Use the QR code to join us for a free virtual tour, a snapshot of our efforts at UNFAO Fisheries & Aquaculture, exploring economic, social & environmental impact of investing in aquatic value chains. Learn how swimming lessons are boosting women oyster harvesters' confidence in The Gambia, and how better access to finance is helping fish farmers boost tilapia production in Côte d’Ivoire.

This Wednesday afternoon at DroneX Tradeshow & Conference (ExCeL London), I’ll take the stage to deliver my keynote: Mission Ocean - “Valorising Uncrewed Innovation in a Rapidly Changing Ocean.” Use the link in the chat thread below to register. As a member of the board for EU Mission Ocean, I’ll share an overview of the Mission, how you can engage with projects, takeoff and funding and how uncrewed technologies are driving Europe’s effort to restore our ocean and waters by 2030. With over 1,000 actions already committed under the Mission Charter, this is the moment to link innovation with real impact leading us from the Ocean Pact to the Ocean Act! Don’t miss the Uncrewed Expo, showcasing the platforms and systems that are transforming how we observe, protect, secure and regenerate our blue planet.

A strong morning here in Nyborg with over 300 delegates gathered for Mission Ocean. Pascal Lamy underlined Europe’s responsibility and opportunity to lead globally on ocean action, while Alan Haynie of ICES stressed the central role of scientific advice and evidence. Andreea Strachinescu from the European Commission brought forward the themes of innovation, investment, and the blue economy, and Ciaran Kelly of the Marine Institute in Ireland reminded us that Mission Ocean is a wicked problem where progress depends on patience, partnerships, and fully inclusive approaches. Join the discussion, link in the reply below.