Med Sea Alliance Calls for Urgent Action by GFCM to Strengthen Fisheries Management

As the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) convenes in Rome, the Med Sea Alliance, alongside its members Oceana and the Environmental Justice Foundation, is urging member countries to take immediate action to safeguard Mediterranean fisheries. With illegal fishing and depleted fish stocks posing critical threats, the Alliance is calling for decisive measures on … Read more

Call for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean to increase transparency and effectively tackle non-compliance cases and IUU fishing

Ahead of the 47th session of the annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (GFCM) in Rome, Italy, Akdeniz Koruma Derneği, Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, AZIR, ClientEarth, Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy and WWF, who work together to protect the Mediterranean … Read more

EU citizens strongly support expanded consumer information for seafood products

New poll conducted by Oceana shows that citizens in Belgium, France, Spain, and Cyprus want to know more about the fish they eat EU Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, should ensure that consumers have basic information on processed seafood A new Oceana poll reveals that 84% of citizens from Belgium, France, Spain and … Read more

Who is actually benefiting from Western African fisheries?

In Africa, local communities that depend on fishing for their food security and livelihoods compete with industrial foreign fleets targeting the same fish. After a seven-month collaboration, Financial Times research using data from Oceana unveiled 39 vessels flagged to Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. Even if the vessels were flagged to these countries, they had ownership … Read more

Enhancing vessel identification in GFCM

Since 2013, when fishing vessels became eligible to apply for International Maritime Organisation (IMO) numbers, these seven-digit identifiers have gained global recognition as an invaluable tool for vessel identification. Unlike call signs, names, flags, or other registration numbers, IMO numbers remain consistent and permanent throughout a vessel’s lifecycle, from construction to dismantling. They need to … Read more

The need for more transparency on ultimate ownership for the GFCM fishing fleet

In this briefing, we present an analysis of the available information on the ultimate ownership of vessels fishing in the GFCM Convention area. We highlight best practices from other RFMOs that disclose beneficial ownership information within their authorized vessel lists. Based on those assessments, we offer recommendations to improve transparency in the GFCM and facilitate … Read more