Med Sea Alliance: GFCM delivered only partial progress

With Mediterranean countries agreeing to make International Maritime Organization (IMO) numbers mandatory for all vessels over 20 metres in length, Med Sea Alliance said that the step closes some transparency gaps, but still falls short of international best practice, which recommends IMO numbers for vessels over 12 metres in length.

The NGO also criticised the GFCM member countries’ decision to postpone until 2028 the full implementation of the compliance mechanism they adopted in 2023. This, it said, means the mechanism remains largely ineffective in preventing illegal fishing for another three years.

“The GFCM’s decision to require IMO numbers for vessels from 20 metres is a step in the right direction, but it falls short of delivering true transparency. By rejecting the EU’s original proposal to include vessels from 15 metres and above, Mediterranean countries missed a crucial opportunity to create a level playing field and close loopholes that enable opaque and potentially illegal fishing to continue,” said Helena Álvarez, Senior Marine Scientist at Oceana.

The Med Sea Alliance acknowledged that progress was made on ongoing initiatives within the regional monitoring framework, such as the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Portal. However, the GFCM failed to advance discussions on Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM), it said.

“We were pleased to hear the Commission’s recognition that compliance monitoring is critical for effective fisheries management. We encourage Mediterranean countries to undertake discussions to develop a regional at-sea monitoring programme that includes REM technology,” said Claire van der Geest, Advisor for The Nature Conservancy.