Tunis, Nov. 10 (TAP) – The members of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), including Tunisia, have adopted twelve new decisions aimed at strengthening the sustainability of aquatic products and the management of fishery stocks.
These measures, taken during the 48th session of the GFCM of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Málaga under the auspices of Spain, “symbolize unity and the need for cooperation between States to secure the future of fisheries and fishing communities,” according to the Commission.
The key decisions directly concern the most valuable resources in the central and eastern Mediterranean, particularly within the framework of managing deep-water crustaceans, according to the FAO.
The GFCM voted to extend the transition period for multiannual management plans for the sustainable exploitation of deep-water red shrimp and blue-and-red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) in the Strait of Sicily (geographical subareas 12 to 16), as well as in the Ionian Sea and the Levantine Sea.
Regarding other stocks, the Commission adopted a harvest control rule for the common pandora in the Alboran Sea, considered an essential step for managing this depleted stock.
In the Adriatic Sea, new recommendations further reduce fishing effort for Norway lobster while increasing effort for the common sole, which is being harvested sustainably.
Another major outcome of the session is the strengthening of mechanisms to ensure compliance with GFCM decisions, particularly to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. An improved mechanism was agreed to evaluate data reporting obligations and monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) measures.
To enhance traceability, the GFCM introduced a new requirement for all vessels over 20 meters operating outside national jurisdictions: they must now possess an International Maritime Organization (IMO) number.
Several countries in the region reaffirmed their commitment by once again reaching Compliance Category 1, including Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Türkiye, as well as the European Union and its member states.
The Commission also highlighted progress in sustainable aquaculture, adopting two resolutions aimed at ecosystem resilience: a harmonized environmental monitoring program and an initiative to establish aquaculture zones dedicated to ecosystem restoration.
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is a regional fisheries management organization established in 1949 under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution.
Its mission is to coordinate efforts among countries to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture and the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources at all levels (biological, social, economic, and environmental).
The GFCM brings together 19 Mediterranean states and 4 Black Sea states, as well as the European Union. Key Mediterranean members include Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, and Tunisia, in addition to Türkiye.
The Black Sea members are Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Türkiye.
