{"id":19838,"date":"2022-03-28T13:56:56","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T12:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=19838"},"modified":"2022-03-28T14:00:06","modified_gmt":"2022-03-28T13:00:06","slug":"fishery-and-aquaculture-support-european-commission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/fishery-and-aquaculture-support-european-commission\/19838\/","title":{"rendered":"Fishery and aquaculture support provided by European Commission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fishery and aquaculture support has been provided by the European Commission<\/a>\u2019s decision to activate new crisis measures, due to Russia\u2019s invasion of the Ukraine.<\/h2>\n

What does the activation of crisis measures mean for fishery and aquaculture support?<\/h3>\n

The crisis mechanism, known as the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), is intended to bring immediate relief to operators of the fishery, aquaculture, and seafood processing sectors. This will be offered through financial compensation for their economic losses as well as any additional costs.<\/p>\n

Thus, Member States will be able to grant financial compensation to operators for income loss that has been unavoidable due to the current market disruption, as well as \u2018storage aid\u2019 to producer organisations. This is a step that follows the Temporary Crisis Framework, which allows Member States to provide support through State aid.<\/p>\n

How has Russia\u2019s invasion of the Ukraine impacted these sectors?<\/h3>\n

Virginijus\u00a0Sinkevi\u010dius, Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries said: \u201cThe war in Ukraine is a war against all of us. Our fisheries, aquaculture and processing sectors are hit hard due to high energy, oxygen, and raw material prices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the second time in the past years after the COVID-19 pandemic, so we are again taking quick action to support them in this turmoil.\u00a0These emergency crisis measures should not in any way impede our long-term efforts towards structural energy transition of the fishery<\/a> and aquaculture sectors to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The military aggression of Russia against Ukraine has resulted in many EU fisherman staying in port rather than going out to sea, because it costs them more. This means that the whole EU fleet is becoming virtually unprofitable.<\/p>\n

Additionally, fishing vessels operating in the Black Sea are facing the threat of possible military activities, therefore leading to a precautionary suspension of their activity. The aquaculture and processing sectors have also been harmed by the increase in the costs of energy and raw materials, as well as high logistics and transport costs.<\/p>\n

Thus, it is expected that the fish market will face a negative supply shock, both of fresh fishery products, due to the decisions not to go out to sea, and of certain processed or preserved products as a consequence of the raw material shortages.<\/p>\n

What measures do the crisis measures offer?<\/h3>\n

Therefore, due to the increased prices of energy, raw materials, and the consequential additional operating costs \u2013 \u00a0which minimises profit margins in the fishery, aquaculture, and seafood processing sectors \u2013 \u00a0the mechanism activated today will allow Member States to grant two types of crisis measures:<\/p>\n