Fishing Italy 2026: EU cuts sea days due to overfishing and Spain must take note

Key data

Italian fishing fleets affected by the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2248 will operate with fewer sea days during 2026. The European Commission has activated the corrective mechanism provided for in EU fishing regulations after detecting overfishing in the previous year, which translates into a direct reduction in the fishing effort available for certain vessels and fishing gears in specific areas.

This is not an administrative sanction in the traditional sense: it is an automatic deduction that operates within the EU's multiannual management plans. The objective is to ensure the sustainability of marine resources. But for Italian shipowners and fishing companies, the practical effect is the same: fewer days at sea, fewer catches and less income.

What does this regulation establish?

Regulation 2026/2248 applies deductions to Italy's fishing effort for 2026 as a consequence of overfishing detected in 2025. Fishing effort is measured in two main units:

• Sea days: the number of days a vessel can fish in a given area.
• Kilowatt-days (kW-days): a combination of engine power and days of activity, used to measure the total effort of a fleet.

Deductions are applied specifically by fleet, fishing gear and geographic area. It does not affect the entire Italian fleet uniformly, but only the specific segments where excess catches were detected in the previous year.

The corrective mechanism is provided for in the EU's multiannual management plans and is automatically applicable: when a Member State exceeds the assigned fishing effort, the Commission deducts the excess from the following year. There is no room for negotiation once the implementing regulation is published.

Economic and operational impact

The reduction in sea days has a cascading effect on the activity of affected fishing companies:

• Lower catch volume: fewer days at sea directly equals fewer tonnes landed and less sales revenue.
• Fixed costs without proportional reduction: vessel maintenance expenses, insurance, depreciation and shore personnel do not disappear even if the boat does not go fishing.
• Impact on employment: the reduction in activity may result in workforce adjustments, especially among crews with contracts linked to fishing activity.
• Pressure on the supply chain: processing and distribution industries that depend on the supply of these fleets may be affected by lower availability of fresh product.

From an operational perspective, shipowners must rethink their campaign planning for 2026: distributing available sea days efficiently among their vessels and fishing gears becomes a first-order strategic decision.

Who does it affect?

• Italian shipowners and fishing companies operating in EU-regulated fishing grounds with the gears and in the areas where overfishing was detected in 2025.
• Crews and workers in the Italian fishing sector whose activity and remuneration depend on effective sea days.
• Italian processing industry (canneries, wholesalers, distributors) that depends on the supply of these fleets.
• Spanish fishing companies as a precedent reference: the same corrective mechanism can be applied to the Spanish fleet if excesses are detected in the quotas assigned to Spain.
• Advisors and consultants in the fishing sector who manage fishing effort planning for their clients.

Practical example

Imagine an Italian fishing company operating bottom trawlers in an EU-regulated Mediterranean area. In 2025, its vessels exceeded the assigned fishing effort, accumulating an excess of kilowatt-days in that specific area.

In application of Regulation 2026/2248, the Commission deducts that excess from the effort available for 2026. The practical result: if the company had 180 sea days assigned for that area, it may see that number reduced based on the excess accumulated the previous year. Each sea day lost is a day without catches, without sales revenue and with fixed costs that continue to run.

For a vessel with significant daily operating costs, the loss of several sea days per month can represent a relevant deterioration in the annual operating margin. The only way to have avoided this situation was to have controlled fishing effort during 2025 to avoid exceeding the assigned quotas.

What should companies do now?

1. If you are an affected Italian fishing company: immediately review the text of Regulation 2026/2248 to identify exactly which areas, gears and fleet segments are affected by the deductions. Entry into force is October 12, 2026.
2. Plan the distribution of remaining fishing effort: with reduced available sea days and kilowatt-days, it is critical to optimize which vessels fish in which areas and with which gears to maximize the value of permitted catches.
3. Evaluate the financial impact: quantify the expected reduction in revenue and review whether it is necessary to activate cost adjustment mechanisms (temporary employment regulation, renegotiation of supply contracts, etc.).
4. If you are a Spanish fishing company: audit compliance with your fishing effort quotas in 2026. The same corrective mechanism can be applied to Spain in 2027 if excesses are detected this year. Acting now avoids future deductions.
5. Consult with your advisor specializing in European fishing regulations to verify whether your fleet or operating areas fall within the scope of this regulation and to plan the 2026 campaign within current limits.

Official source

Consult full regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202602248