A group of countries in the European Union and the Mediterranean have agreed to draw up and adopt a new MedFish4Ever Declaration in 2027 in order to guide efforts to rebuild Mediterranean fish stocks.
“A decade after the adoption of the #MedFish4Ever Declaration, we are assessing its progress and agreeing on a common path to protect fisheries in the Mediterranean. This will pave the way for an updated Declaration in 2027, » said European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis in a social media statement.
The initial MedFish4Ever declaration was signed in 2017, with 16 countries accepting a 10-year vision to reverse the decline in Mediterranean fish stocks.
« This happened at a time when the vast majority of the region’s stocks were overexploited and the sector showed signs of crisis, with a decrease in catches and employment, » the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) said in a statement. “Since then, thanks to the cooperation of all stakeholders, MedFish4Ever has reversed the trend in the region, unifying [fishery management] and reversing overfishing trends, resulting in an overall 60% reduction in fishing pressure in the Mediterranean. Aquaculture was also part of the solution, growing by 41% in the Mediterranean in the six years following the Historic Declaration. «
However, EU officials noted that « more than half of the stocks assessed remain overexploited », illegal fishing, fleet overcapacity, climate change and economic difficulties remain major challenges for the region.
As a result, representatives of the Mediterranean nations met in Cyprus on May 5 to agree to update the MedFish4Ever Declaration next year, by granting enhanced governance, science-driven recovery, a fair transition to support small-scale fishermen, climate resilience, as well as solidarity and partnership.
