Progress report for
The EU, together with its Mediterranean partners, has endorsed MedFish4Ever Declaration
Achievement at a glance
In 2017, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) adopted multi-annual management plans for turbot in the Black Sea and red coral in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2018, MAPs were adopted for European eel in the Mediterranean Sea, giant red shrimp, blue and red shrimps in the Ionian and Levant Seas, as well as new emergency measures for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic for the coming 3 years. A fishing restricted area was adopted in the Adriatic sea (Jabuka/Pomo Pit).The GFCM implements the 2017 regional action plan to combat IUU. Under the coordination of EU/ EFCA, it runs an international inspection and surveillance scheme in the Strait of Sicily as well as a pilot project for turbot fisheries in the Black Sea. In October 2018, the GFCM adopted the work plan for the quantification of IUU fishing in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and a reinforced traceability of fishing gear. The GFCM has also progressed on a regional pilot VMS and control systems.
In 2018, the Regional Plan of Action for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Seas was adopted. This 10-year roadmap will boost their economic potential and therefore the viability of coastal communities, contribute to the sustainable management of resources, promote decent working conditions and the role of women, address climate and environmental challenges.
Since October 2017, a strategy for sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Seas has been promoted. To strengthen research and knowledge sharing, two Aquaculture Demonstrative Centers were established in the Black Sea.
In 2018 Sofia Declaration set actions and targets for the next 10 years for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Black Sea.
order to raise awareness and share best practice, the International Day for the fight against IUU was celebrated in June 2019, together with the High-level conference on the progress of MedFish4Ever Declaration
The MedFish4Ever Declaration, signed by 16 Mediterranean riparian countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Türkiye) and the European Commission, was a turning point for a new regional governance. All our actions in achieving sustainable Mediterranean fisheries in the EU and at the international level (GFCM) were guided by this 10-year roadmap.
In 2021 the GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) and its members adopted the 2030 Strategy for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. This advanced the work for healthy and productive fisheries, better compliance and enforcement, sustainable aquaculture, better conditions of coastal communities and possibilities for capacity development.
Many decisions have been adopted for protecting the marine environment. A total of 11 multiannual management plans involving more than 6300 vessels are now in place in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (for example on European Eel, Red Coral, Dolphinfish, Deepwater shrimp and turbot). Thanks to these measures the percentage of stocks fished outside of biologically sustainable limits decreased from 73% in 2020 to 58% in 2023. Moreover, 11 fisheries restricted areas covering more than 1 760 000m² have been adopted, the most recent one in the Southern Adriatic agreed during the 2024 GFCM annual Session. Also, much progress was made on monitoring, control and surveillance, for example: 4 international inspections schemes adopted and the permanent deployment of an EFCA control vessel in the region.
In 2023, the MedFish4Ever conference in Malta increased the level of engagement, supported by the GFCM’s 2030 Strategy. This was complemented by discussions held during the 2024 Fish Forum, the mid-term event of the Regional Plan Of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries and the Aquaculture conference as fora for discussing progress towards the new governance of the Mediterranean as set by MedFish4Ever declaration.
Challenges faced in implementation
While the large variety of actions and measures undertaken since the adoption of the MedFish4Ever Declaration were adopted and have allowed to achieve several positive outcomes (as stated above), the Mediterranean is still faced with several challenges which crucially need to be addressed.The conservation and fisheries management work that has been undertaken has clearly proven to be beneficial for the region. However, efforts are still necessary to ensure healthy marine ecosystems as well as fish stocks. The implementation of existing and future measures such as multiannual management plans, or spatio-temporal measures is essential.
Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing continued to negatively affect the fisheries sector as well as the marine ecosystems. In this context it is important to ensure the compliance of all measures and a level playing field through the implementation of key tools to control and enforce fishing activities under the GFCM Regional Plan of Action against IUU fishing. It is crucial these are fully implemented by all countries. Joint control and inspection schemes are also vital for fostering compliance and combating IUU fishing. These schemes should be developed further to support GFCM management plans, enhance cooperation, and ensure fairness across the region.
Finally, climate change has been considerably and increasingly impacting the Mediterranean. From warming water temperatures to the spread of non-indigenous species, fishers in the region have had to face several related challenges. The GFCM and its members have undertaken mitigation and adaptation work, for example through the decarbonisation of the fishing fleet or research programmes on non-indigenous species.
Next Steps
The implementation of the MedFish4Ever Declaration will continue until the end of its 10-year period, building on the solid foundation that has been put in place since the adoption of the Declaration.As it was noted during the 2023 MedFish4Ever conference in Malta, Parties to the GFCM are very much committed to their responsibilities under the Declaration. Discussions in various fora of the GFCM (the 2024 Fish Forum, the Small-Scale Fisheries Summit, the Aquaculture conference), have highlighted the current and upcoming challenges faced both by the fisheries and aquaculture sector as well as by the Mediterranean marine ecosystems.
It will be essential that the work accomplished thus far as well as upcoming challenges will be taken on board in the drafting of the next MedFish4Ever agreement to be adopted in 2027.
Beneficiaries
Contracting parties to the GFCM
The beneficiaries of this MedFish4Ever Declaration and all the actions taken thereunder are the sixteen countries signatories to the Declaration. These are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Türkiye.
However, more widely, all contracting parties and cooperating non-contracting parties (CPCs) to the GFCM benefit from the measures implemented and the results emanating therefrom. These contracting parties are: Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, the European Union, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Türkiye. These are joined by six cooperating non-contracting parties: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.
First and foremost, direct beneficiaries include citizens of each State who will benefit from this enhanced regional fisheries governance.
Actions
Only in the last few years, under the MedFish4Ever Declaration, progress was made on:- The launch of ten (10) multiannual management plans for deep-water red shrimps, small pelagic and demersal species in the Adriatic Sea and the Strait of Sicily, Red coral, European eel, Dolphinfish, and numerous research programmes such as for European eel, Red coral, Blue crabs and other Non-Indigenous Species.
- The establishment of the GFCM Aquaculture Demonstrative Centres, valuable hubs for stakeholders and researchers, to boost in a concrete manner the sustainable development of aquaculture.
- A significant increase in the use of spatial management to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems and essential fish habitats, with about 58 percent of the Mediterranean now protected from bottom trawling, including below 1 000 m depth thanks to the Fisheries Restricted Area adopted under Recommendation GFCM/29/2005/1.
- A set of measures to reduce fisheries impacts to seabirds, cetaceans, sharks and rays, vulnerable marine species in protecting the biodiversity of the Mediterranean which is considered a hotspot of biodiversity.
- The establishment of the GFCM regional Non-Indigenous Species Observatory in Türkiye, which the European Union sponsored and supported – a particularly important development at regional level given that the Mediterranean is considered as hotspot of invasive species.