Guidance on Natura 2000 and fishing

Guidance on Natura 2000 and fishing / October 2025

ID 24919 | 14.11.2025

Application of Article 6 of the Habitats Directive and Article 4 of the Birds Directive to marine fishing activities: Commission notice

The Commission has published guidance on Natura 2000 and fishing to help EU Member States better protect marine Natura 2000 sites while supporting a sustainable future for Europe’s fisheries.

 This Commission notice is intended to help Member States to correctly implement the provisions of Article 4 of the Birds Directive and Article 6 of the Habitats Directive for management of Natura 2000 sites as regards commercial and recreational marine fishing activities. It helps Member States to identify various fisheries conservation measures, which can be adopted by the EU or -under certain conditions- Member States as national conservation measures. It recommends a clear process to

1) assess if fishing activities threaten protected habitats and species in Natura 2000 sites,
2) valuate potential impacts based on site-specific conservation objectives and
3) put in place measures to prevent habitat deterioration and significant disturbance of species, as well as necessary restoration measures.
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	Descrizione	Lingua	Dimensioni	Downloads
	Natura 2000 and fishing EC 2025	EN	910 kB	34