EU strengthens fisheries conservation and control in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea

The Commission has proposed to transpose a number of measures previously agreed at international level into EU law.

Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella said:

Today's proposal is another step towards achieving the common objectives that we set out in the MedFish4ever Declaration from 2017. This proposal aims to restore and preserve healthy fishing stocks. This is how we keep the jobs that depend on fisheries.

The measures adopted in the framework of General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) cover, inter alia, a joint inspection and surveillance scheme for the Strait of Sicily and management plans for Turbot in the Black sea, Red coral in the Mediterranean and Blackspot seabream in the Alboran Sea. The measures also set out new fishing restricted areas in the Adriatic Sea and the Strait of Sicily.

Background

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean is a regional fisheries organisation (RFMO) with 23 member countries along with the European Union, which has the authority to adopt binding recommendations for fisheries conservation and management in the Mediterranean and the Black sea and connecting waters.