Report | October 27, 2020

An Essential Fish Habitats Network to Rebuild Mediterranean Fisheries

In 2017, the MedFish4Ever Ministerial Declaration was adopted by 16 countries and the European Union. It contained a forward-thinking commitment, not seen anywhere else, to protect Essential Fish Habitats (EFH) in the Mediterranean Sea and support fish stock rebuilding. This commitment was later translated into a GCM decision to create a network of Mediterranean EFs (GFCM/41/2017/5). Since then, progress has been slow, as only 3.5% of the Mediterranean Sea has been protected via this network (Table 1). The case of the Jabuka/ Pomo Pit Fishery Restricted Area (FRA) demonstrates an example of successful regeneration effects on fish populations.

The GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) call to reduce excessive fishing mortality has been continuously ignored. Consequently, fish populations managed by the GFCM remain severely overexploited: 80% of assessed stocks were considered to be outside biologically safe limits in 2019.

Protecting EH helps reduce the high fishing rates on juveniles that characterize most Mediterranean demersal fisheries. Since the adoption of the EFH Decision, GFCM fisheries experts recommended and supported protecting juveniles “as a direct way to achieve reduction of fishing mortality” (SAC, 2019) notably through the establishment of “FRAs to protect essential fish habitats” (SAC, 2018).

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