Overview
RFMOs aim to ensure that fishing activities do not have a significant negative impact on biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
RFMOs consist of countries with fishing interests in a given area and are open to coastal states, as well as nations with historical or potential future fishing activities in these areas. RFMOs cover the majority of the world’s seas and are generally divided into two categories: those focusing on highly migratory fish stocks (e.g., tuna) and those managing other fish resources (e.g., pelagic or dermersal) in specific areas.
Objectives
RFMOs have the authority to adopt rules for managing fisheries. These rules include management tools such as catch limits (quotas), technical measures, spatial and temporal restrictions, and monitoring, control, and surveillance activities to ensure compliance. Decisions are made based on scientific advice from their scientific bodies, with regular reviews of member compliance. The EU is a significant player, actively participating in 5 tuna-focused and 13 non-tuna-focused RFMOs, advocating for high standards of sustainability and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.
RFMOs managing fish stocks by geographical area
- North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
- North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)
- South-East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO)
- Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)
- South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO)
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
- General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
- Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea (CCBSP)
- Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (AIDCP) (sister organisation to IATTC)
- North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC)
Regional fisheries bodies (RFB)
Regional fisheries bodies (RFB) are also international organisations focused on fisheries management but they have a purely advisory role.
Arrangements
Arrangements are cooperative agreements between countries or parties to manage fish stocks in a certain area, mainly for straddling fish stocks or highly migratory fish stocks. They are like RFMOs, but they don't have a formal structure with a governing body or a secretariat.
The EU is a party to the Agreement to prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the central Arctic Ocean. The EU's participation in this agreement demonstrates its commitment to sustainable fisheries management on a global scale.
News
The EU is deeply concerned that most North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) members opposed the EU proposal to set the mackerel total allowable catch (TAC) in line with the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
The European Union and São Tomé and Príncipe have signed a new protocol to continue their 40-year-old partnership on fisheries.
The European Commission has launched a call for evidence to shape a new EU strategy for fisheries external action — a key step towards more sustainable and globally responsible ocean governance.