EU fishery subsidies €22 bn, Spain tops beneficiaries, report finds

A new analysis by the environmental group Bloom says the European Union has spent about €22 billion in current terms (around €31 billion constant) on fisheries subsidies since 1994, yet the funding has contributed to ocean degradation and weakened the sector’s economic performance. The report titled “Miles de millones desperdiciados” states the result of the investment “no ha sido nada positivo”.

The study finds the EU’s fishing sector is fully subsidised, with more than half of its waters subject to bottom‑trawl fishing and roughly 27 % of that activity occurring inside areas labelled as marine protected zones. Small‑scale fishers received only about 1 % of the public aid. The European Court of Auditors has noted that EU actions have “no han logrado restablecer un buen estado ecológico de los mares”.

Spain emerges as the leading beneficiary, capturing the largest share of EU fishing funds. By 2025 its fleet will rank third in the EU by vessel count but first by tonnage, reflecting the country’s strong influence on EU fisheries policy.