Rates of overfishing in both the Mediterranean and Black seas are continuing to fall, with the percentage of stocks deemed overexploited now falling below 60 percent in the region for the first time, according to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
According to a recent GFCM publication titled “The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (SoMFi) 2023,” that fishing pressure is still twice the level considered sustainable.
However, it is clear that positive progress is being made, GFCM Senior Fishery Officer Elisabetta Betulla Morello told SeafoodSource.
She explained that in 2023 alone, there was a 15 percent drop in overfishing year over year and a 31 percent dip compared to 2012 figures.
“SoMFi 2023 demonstrates that the GFCM’s continued focus on expanding adaptive multiannual management plans and adopting combinations of input/output measures along with technical and spatial measures is having positive results for key commercial species,” Morello said.
More specifically, stocks of European hake and common sole in the Mediterranean Sea and turbot in the Black Sea, which are all covered under dedicated GFCM management plans, have benefited from a large reduction in overfishing, with some of them already revealing signs of rebuilding biomass, Morello said.
This has led to long-awaited, albeit small, wins for fishers, as evidenced by a slight increase in the total allowable catch (TAC) for turbot in the Black Sea for 2025.
“We have not yet achieved the sustainability objectives we have set in our GFCM 2030 Strategy, but I am optimistic that, if we continue working together with GFCM contracting parties and cooperating non-contracting parties (CPCs), as well as with partners at the regional and national level with the same commitment and determination, we will be able to achieve our common goals,” Morello said.
Aiming to keep the positive momentum rolling, the regional fishery management organization made several key decisions impacting the region’s future at its 47th annual meeting held in Rome, Italy, near the end of 2024.
GFCM Executive Secretary Miguel Bernal said the annual meeting concluded what had been a year of “intense, collaborative efforts,” in which GFCM members had demonstrated their commitment to addressing the region’s fisheries and aquaculture challenges.
Among the decisions adopted were new management measures for various priority species like European eel, red coral, blackspot seabream, European hake, Norway lobster (langoustines), European sprat, turbot, rapa whelk, piked dogfish, and sturgeon.
Other key outcomes included a landmark decision to establish single-species harvest control rules and annual catch limits for sardines and European anchovies in the Adriatic Sea.
Though fishers have seen some wins in the form of increased TACs, Morello said the GFCM is aware of the difficult trade-offs that came along with management measures and is making concerted efforts to integrate socioeconomic considerations into its decision-making processes, such as through dedicated surveys for select fisheries, species, areas, or fleets, as well as by integrating stakeholder feedback into the decision-making process.
“Consideration of the welfare and well-being of coastal communities is an essential component of the GFCM fisheries advisory process,” she said. “GFCM CPCs are enhancing dedicated socioeconomic work in view of taking informed decisions that balance both environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic considerations. Where scientific assessments show positive progress being made, the GFCM CPCs are keen to also reward fishers for their sacrifices.”
Nevertheless, the region’s fishing industry still has a murky future, as the lack of young people entering the sector, particularly within small-scale fisheries, is regarded as a “critical issue,” Morello said.
“[It] has been raised by fishers and administrations alike and has the potential to affect the future viability of the small-scale fishing sector, risking a loss of know-how, employment, and local food production,” she said.
Therefore, GFCM is working with its CPCs to identify initiatives to promote healthy generational turnover, such as by improving public perception of the sector, raising awareness on the need to reduce bureaucracy, facilitating appropriate and meaningful social protection benefits for the sector, and promoting participatory management in GFCM advisory processes, she said.
The annual meeting also covered the potential for aquaculture growth in the region, with GFCM Aquaculture Officer Houssam Hamza noting that work is already underway to achieve that growth.
“The GFCM supports sustainable aquaculture development, which improves ecosystems while generating economic returns. We also encourage investments in climate-resilient species, renewable energy, and innovative technologies,” Hamza said. “For aquaculture to succeed, local communities and farmers must be engaged and empowered. The GFCM supports its member countries in allocating aquaculture zones, ensuring fair labor practices, and educating the public on aquaculture’s environmental and economic value. Social acceptance is crucial, and the GFCM’s role is to provide guidance and tools to help countries create inclusive, sustainable, and investment-ready aquaculture sectors.”
