The fisheries sector is crucial to livelihoods, food security and sustainable long-term development in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Fish stocks in these two semi-enclosed seas are shared among fleets from different countries. Industrial, semi-industrial and small-scale fisheries coexist in the region, using a wide variety of fishing gear. In contrast to those in other major fishing areas, Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries are generally multispecies, exploiting a range of benthic and pelagic species, as well as molluscs and crustaceans, with the notable exception of the Black Sea anchovy purse seine fishery. Despite fisheries’ relatively low economic output compared to other economic activities in the area (e.g. tourism, oil and gas exploration), the annual production of roughly 2 million tonnes offers employment opportunities to 700 000 people along the value chain, supplies seafood products for human consumption to local and regional markets, and creates many other indirect benefits, maintaining the social fabric of coastal communities. Fisheries are also an intrinsic part of the cultural landscape of Mediterranean and Black Sea countries.

As a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO), the GFCM aims to achieve maximum sustainable yield (MSY) – the highest possible catch that can be sustained over time while ensuring maximum growth of the exploited stock – as well as to avoid significant adverse impacts on marine ecosystems, while ensuring livelihoods and enhancing food production. To do so, the GFCM designs and adopts multiannual management plans to manage key fisheries in a holistic and adaptive manner. The process starts with data collection and stock assessments and culminates in the adoption and enforcement of binding recommendations aimed at controlling levels of fishing mortality while minimizing negative interactions between fisheries and the environment. Fishery productivity is closely linked to the health of the marine environment, and the GFCM plays an important role in several initiatives across the region to preserve and restore the natural resources on which the viability of the sector depends. Key objectives include mitigating bycatch, reducing marine pollution, curbing the spread of non-indigenous species, and helping the sector adapt to climate change across all areas of work.

The GFCM works on all aspects relevant to sustainable fisheries management in its area of application:

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