The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of this crucial aquatic food production sector in our region, as well as the information necessary to review advances and identify challenges in achieving the sustainability of fish and fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. This 2022 edition of The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries comes at a special moment in the history of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as this year marks the seventieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Agreement establishing the GFCM. While celebrating this milestone, countries and partner organizations paused to reflect not only on the progress made over the past 70 years, but also on the organization’s future direction as the GFCM embarked on its first year of implementing the GFCM 2030 Strategy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (GFCM 2030 Strategy). This edition provides foundations for these reflections and focuses attention on the most critical issues. Fisheries have been tightly woven into the Mediterranean and Black Sea way of life for millennia. Dense populations along the coasts and high demand for fish products, which form a key element of the region’s celebrated cuisines, have always made fishing a key source of livelihoods in the region. Fisheries not only provide for those who work at sea, but their benefits are spread along the value chain, creating economic opportunities for boat and net builders, fish mongers and fish processers, restaurant owners and tourism activities, among many others. Beyond its rich human history with a long tradition of fishing activities, the Mediterranean and Black Sea region also hosts unique ecosystems. Unfortunately, however, these two seas are hotspots for various anthropogenic pressures, including climate change and plastic pollution, as well as the appearance and expansion of non-indigenous species, with more than a thousand of these species having been reported in the region. These threats, coupled with pressures from fishing activities and external challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis, pose a risk to the marine environment and to the thousands of livelihoods that depend on healthy seas and productive fisheries in our region. Fishers, particularly the xii The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020| small-scale fishers who form the workforce’s overwhelming majority, are an especially vulnerable population, and efforts are needed to support their resilience. Fortunately, in its 70 years the GFCM has undergone an important evolution, laying down strong roots to grow into a modern, efficient and effective organization capable of addressing the social, economic and environmental challenges facing the sector today. Crucial to addressing these challenges is the strategic vision presented by the GFCM 2030 Strategy, which, in its first year of implementation in 2022, has already begun to bear fruit. Therefore, in the year of the GFCM’s seventieth anniversary, we must celebrate the progress made towards efficient management of fisheries, much of which is clearly outlined in this fourth edition of The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries. The stakes are high and the objectives of the GFCM 2030 strategy are ambitious – as they should be – in order to preserve such an important sector. The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2022 provides the information needed to identify gaps, strengths and challenges, guiding key actions to be implemented and facilitating the design of efficient measures.