Crucial step towards building a culture of compliance
Split, Croatia, November 10, 2023:– NGOs today commended the decision by Mediterranean states to create a sanction system that will empower the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) to take action against countries which continue overfishing or illegal fishing, calling it “a crucial step towards building a culture of compliance, which is essential to start rebuilding Mediterranean fish populations”.
New Measures Would Allow Authorities to tackle non-compliance and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
Split, Croatia, November 6, 2023:– As officials from Mediterranean countries gather this week for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) annual session in Croatia, NGOs are urging the adoption of a system of corrective measures that would allow the GFCM to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and cases of non-compliance within its region – a call backed by a legal analysis published this week that shows that GFCM has the competency to impose such measures [1].
Med Sea Alliance Side event at MedFish4Ever in Malta, October 3, 2023 Calling for decisive action to strengthen transparency, compliance, and the enforcement of measures to end illegal bottom trawling
Ministers Meeting for MedFish4Ever High Level Conference on Mediterranean Protection in Malta
MedFish4Ever NGO Side Event to Present Findings – See Below
As fisheries ministers gather in Malta today for the high-level MedFish4Ever conference, NGOs called on them to end the illegal bottom trawling that is driving destruction of protected areas in the Mediterranean, by strengthening compliance and enforcement ahead of November’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) annual session in Croatia [1,2].
Times of Malta, 03 October 2023: “Mediterranean fish forever Ministers meeting in Malta this week must end illegal bottom trawling, which would be a win-win for fish stocks and fishing communities”
A Call to Action for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
Taking decisive action to end bottom trawling in the Mediterranean Sea in areas where it is already banned, and hence considered illegal, should be a top priority for all GFCM Contracting Parties responsible for promoting sustainable fisheries and protecting marine biodiversity. First, it is vital to recognise that not only is illegal bottom trawling taking place in the Mediterranean, but this destructive practice is putting ecosystems and livelihoods at risk, and that many protection measures currently exist only “on paper” – i.e., without full enforcement. Second, urgent steps must be taken to end illegal bottom trawling by strengthening transparency, compliance, and the enforcement of GFCM measures.To help accelerate government action, several member organisations of the Med Sea Alliance (MSA) have joined forces to examine and expose illegal bottom trawling and recommend concrete solutions to both national authorities and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
Continue reading Call to Action: Ending illegal bottom trawling in the Mediterranean Sea
