The number of Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks subject to overfishing has decreased for the first time in decades, a new report shows.
While 75% of fish stocks remain subject to overfishing, this percentage fell by more than 10% between 2014 and 2018, found ‘The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries’ (SoMFi) report. Exploitation ratios are down by a similar proportion.
The SoMFI report is published biennially by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) – an FAO statutory body.
“Thanks to the commitment of GFCM members and experts to addressing existing challenges, for the first time we can say that some positive signals are finally emerging in the sector” said Abdellah Srour, GFCM executive secretary. “While we know there is a lot more work still to be done before the region’s fisheries are on a sustainable footing, we are pleased that we have begun to reverse some of the most worrying trends.”
Taking into account newly assessed stocks, the number of fish stocks with hkigh relative biomass has doubled since the last edition published in 2018.
Important examples of improvement amongst priority stocks include European hake, which is displaying signs of recovery in the Mediterranean, and Black Sea turbot, which has seen a decline in its exploitation ratio as its spawning stock biomass has continued to rebuild over the past four years.
In November 2019, ministers from the region reiterated their political commitment to achieving the objectives of the MedFish4Ever and Sofia Declaration to pursue an even higher level of ambition within the future GFCM Strategy (2021-2025) and to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14. Ten multiannual fisheries management plans are now in place, involving more than 4,000 fishing vessels.
