WWF and MSC join forces to map out key Mediterranean fisheries

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) are embarking on the initial phases of a new joint project together in the hope of netting a more secure livelihood for the Mediterranean fishing community.

The project in question, Project Medfish, ultimately aims to broaden access to sustainable resources for the fisheries of the Mediterranean. The livelihoods of some 8,300 fishers in Spain and 2,300 fishers in France are dependent on Mediterranean waters and the species that dwell there. Most of the fishing operations in these parts are on the smaller side – there are 2,760 Spanish and 1,400 French fishing boats, with 70 percent of Spanish fleet and about 90 percent of French fleet classified as small-scale. However, according to data from the European Commission, approximately 88 percent of Mediterranean fisheries assessed are overfished.

By way of Project Medfish, both WWF and MSC will employ third-party assessors to carry out a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of French and Spanish Mediterranean fisheries. The assessment will utilize the MSC Fisheries Standard as a benchmark for sustainability. The first step in the project, which is now underway, is to map out 100 fisheries critical in France and Spain for small-scale fishers. Doing so will help the industry address critical gaps in the data.

Although the focus currently is confined to France and Spain, both nonprofits are eager to include other countries in the region as part of the project. The timeline for Project Medfish is two years, with 100 fisheries to be mapped out in both countries, said MSC. Fourteen fisheries will then be pre-assessed to determine whether they meet MSC criteria for sustainable fishing and action plans will be developed to guide fisheries towards improvements, the certification body said.

Some fisheries participating in the project will be eligible to enter full assessment for MSC certification, while others will be equipped with “a clear plan to enable them to work towards future sustainability.”

“Seafood and fishing are synonymous with the Mediterranean lifestyle, yet there are serious concerns about the long-term sustainability of many fisheries in the Mediterranean,” said Camiel Derichs, director for the MSC in Europe. “In order to secure seafood supplies for the future, fishing needs to be sustainable: maintaining fish stocks and limiting impacts on the environment. Sustainable fisheries assure long term socio-economic benefits for the communities which rely on them. Pre-assessment to the MSC standard is a first step towards helping fisheries understand what is required to safeguard Mediterranean seafood supplies for future generations.”

“WWF believes that small-scale fisheries have a key role to play in ending overfishing which currently threatens the balance of life in the Mediterranean and severely affects coastal communities, whose livelihoods depend on fishing. We support the critical steps to implement sustainable fishing methods, preserve fish stocks, and secure and improve coastal communities’ livelihoods. Only through joint efforts to make fisheries, and the whole global seafood industry, fully transparent and sustainable, can we stop the over-exploitation of the seas,” added Alfred Schumm, leader of WWF’s Smart Fishing Initiative.

Supply chain organizations will be included in the project to help increase demand for sustainable seafood and develop a more sustainable Mediterranean seafood market, MSC said.

Fisheries, NGOs, scientific bodies, public administrations and commercial companies and distributors are invited to get involved in the project if they have any interest in fisheries management in the Mediterranean.

SAI Global in France and Acoura Marine in Spain will carry out the pre-assessments and mapping of the fisheries for Project Medfish. The project received funding support from the Daniel & Nina Carasso Foundation, the Resources Legacy Fund and the Adessium Foundation.

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