The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), including its Mediterranean regional projects, are organizing in partnership with CIHEAM-Bari, MedPAN, WWFand in collaboration with the Government of Algeria a Regional Conference on “Building a future for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea”.

In 2013, the same partners organized the First Regional Symposium on Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (Malta, 27–30 November 2013), in collaboration with the Government of Malta. For the first time in this region, national administrations, international organizations, fisheries scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), fishers communities, stakeholders and civil society gathered around the same table to discuss common issues with regard to the promotion of sustainable small-scale fisheries. This event demonstrated the potential of the small-scale fisheries sector to alleviate poverty, ensure food security and contribute to Blue Growth strategies and can be considered as a milestone which raised awareness about the main issues at stake, laying the groundwork for future action in the region.

Building upon the momentum created, the organizing partners agreed that concrete steps should be taken towards securing a sustainable future for this sector. The Regional Conference will hence offer a unique opportunity to intensify efforts, in a concerted manner, to secure common strategies for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the region.