Development of fisheries and aquaculture in the context of Ukraine's european integration course

Abstract

Aquatic bioresources are a valuable component of the population's nutrition and they play a significant role in ensuring global food security. Unlike global tendencies, Ukraine has experienced a persistent decline in fisheries and aquaculture production over the past decades (2000-2022).

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of European integration on the Ukrainian fisheries and aquaculture sector and to summarise the key measures for effective fishing management in Ukraine. The methodological basis of this study included such methods of scientific cognition: monographic, dialectical, tabular, graphical, abstract and logical. Legislative and regulatory acts of Ukraine and the EU, scientific works of domestic and foreign scientists, as well as statistical indicators served as the primary sources of information during the research. The author used the data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, EUROSTAT.

The main factors that slow down the development of the Ukrainian fishing industry have been summarised: high level of moral and physical depreciation of fixed assets; sectoral shadowing due to the lack of proper control and accountability for not submitting reports; problems with the supply of fish planting materials; negative anthropogenic and climatic impacts on aquatic ecosystems etc. Including Ukraine's aspirations for European integration, it is essential to consider the potential consequences of EU accession for the Ukrainian fisheries and aquaculture. The primary expected advantages include: de-shadowing, improving the quality of fish products, increasing funding, expanding export potential, modernising of outdated equipment, and gaining access to innovative technologies and practices in fish extraction and processing. The dynamic of foreign trade of fish and crustaceans of Ukraine with EU countries shows that, despite the small share of fish and crustaceans in the overall commodity structure with EU countries, exports of these items had a positive growth trend before the full-scale war. However, in 2022 fish and crustaceans exports to EU countries have decreased by more than one and a half times,. To ensure effective management of the domestic fishing industry in the context of European integration, it is crucial to: bring the national legislation in line with the European one, including the implementation of more than 30 EU acts; digitalise and deregulate the industry, ensuring traceability of aquatic bioresources; implement sustainable fishing practices, including the development of organic aquaculture, etc.