​On 27 June 2016 the NAT commission of the CoR organized a debate on small-scale fisherie, chaired by the 1st Vice-Chair of NAT, Cllr Tony Buchanan. Small scale fisheries have been the foundation of small coastal communities for literally thousands of years, with many of the biggest European ports having their origins as small fishing harbours. Today, small scale fisheries (SSF) deliver 16% of the added value in European fisheries and comprise 8% of the tonnage of the European fishing fleet. However, SSF account for 48% of the jobs in the fisheries sector and 74% of the 86 000 fishing vessels in Europe. The development of the Blue economy in Europe at local and regional level is one of the priority areas for the CoR Commission for Natural Resources (NAT).

Local and regional leaders talked about the importance of the blue economy for growth and jobs and called for a comprehensive and inclusive plan for its development at local and regional level, including special provisions supporting small scale coastal fisheries. Cllr Buchanan said that "Small-scale fisheries are an important economic factor in maritime cities and regions, and the EU should pay particular attention to this area. It is the rural areas where the EU needs to convince citizens of the advantages of the internal market". After the debate he met with the Croatian fishermen who participated in the debate.