Report | October 29, 2019
Call for the adoption of minimum landing sizes for all GFCM priority species
The protection of juvenile fish is a prerequisite to secure productive fisheries. Yet the catch of small and immature individuals (both targeted and bycatch) is a persistent problem in Mediterranean fisheries that results in the majority of fisheries resources being captured before they realize their reproductive potential. According to the SoMFi 2018 report, a significant part of the discard fraction (between 20% and 30%) is represented by undersize specimen or fish of inadequate size in the Mediterranean Sea.
With only a few exceptions, most GFCM priority species currently lack any Minimum Landing Size (MLS) or Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS). This analysis by Oceana on 15 GFCM priority fish species from the Mediterranean Sea confirms an overall absence of MLS/MCRS measures for most priority species, and notably that:
- Only European hake is subject to a specific GFCM regional-wide measure to conserve juveniles across the entire Mediterranean region;
• MCRS for deep-water rose shrimp is established under the scope of the multiannual management plan for demersal fisheries in the Strait of Sicily;
• MCRS for anchovies and sardines are established under the scope of the multiannual management plan for small pelagic fisheries in the Adriatic Sea;
• Additional species (e.g. common sole, shrimp species) could be subject to MCRS measures in the future under multiannual management plans, depending on scientific assessments/advice.
• 2 species (Norway lobster, Red mullet) do not have MCRS whereas they exist under EU legislation;
• For 8 other species that do not have MLS/MCRS, scientific information is available on “minimum size mature” and/or “length at first maturity”, which can help estimate a value for this parameter.
• Many GFCM non-priority species, where juvenile represent a large part of the landings, lack MLS/MCRS: like monkfish, conger, John dory, horse mackerel, sprat, gobies, etc.
• In some instance, species do have MLS/MCRS defined, but below their science-based maturity size.
