© FAO GFCM/Tamer Gunal
During the 47th session of the UN General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, held in Rome last week, 12 binding agreements and a further five pivotal decisions were made concerning the future of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
“This annual session concluded a year of intense, collaborative efforts and demonstrated the continued commitment of GFCM members to address the ever-increasing challenges facing the fisheries and aquaculture sector in our region,” said Miguel Bernal, GFCM Executive Secretary, in a press release.
Support for sustainable aquaculture growth
The development of the aquaculture sector within the Mediterranean and Black Sea was a key point of discussion at this year’s session, with the progress made towards enhancing sector sustainability being highlighted alongside the numerous assistance programmes established throughout the region over the last year.
The attendants also addressed the growing challenges posed by climate change, with specific focus on the spread of diseases associated with aquaculture operations. Attempting to mitigate the threats of disease spread, both to aquaculture operations and wider ecosystems, the attendants set in place a key agreement to set up an aquatic disease monitoring network.
Principles for responsible investment in aquaculture were also adopted, aimed at enhancing the sector’s attractiveness to investors and highlighting its role in food security.
Fair and productive fisheries
In addition to aquaculture, the Commission hosted discussions focussing on the region’s fisheries, which currently are reporting the lowest percentage of overfished stocks for this decade, although fishing pressure is still at twice the level considered sustainable. In light of this, the Commission agreed on the reinforcement of measures addressing the management of numerous GFCM priority species, including European eel, red coral, blackspot seabream, European hake, Norway lobster, European sprat, turbot, rapa whelk, piked dogfish and sturgeon.
In the Adriatic Sea, the finalisation of a rigorous management strategy evaluation process supported a landmark decision to establish single species harvest control rules and annual catch limits for sardine and European anchovy, moving away from the joint catch limits enforced until now and promoting ecological sustainability and economic stability.
A new spatial management plan was also discussed, with the present countries agreeing to a fisheries restricted area in the Otranto Channel in the Adriatic Sea. This decision establishes a core area where bottom trawling activities are banned in order to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems formed by bamboo coral and enhance the productivity of marine living resources through the protection of essential fish habitats, such as those of deep-water red shrimp. It also delineates a buffer area, where fishing activities are regulated.
Next steps
All decisions adopted at the annual session are geared towards putting the long-term future of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors on a sustainable footing.
“Looking forward, I am confident we can raise the bar and together meet the challenges before us. I would also like to recognise and congratulate those who collectively contribute to our efforts, from experts and administrators to fishers and farmers, for their strides and commitment to our ever-growing work, as the ultimate beneficiaries of our decisions,” concluded Fouad Guenatri, Ministry of Fisheries and Fisheries Production, Algeria.
