Málaga, Spain – November 3, 2025 – Ahead of its meeting this week, the Med Sea Alliance, alongside its members Oceana, and The Nature Conservancy calls on the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) to:

• Require unique vessel identifiers (IMO numbers) for all vessels over 15 metres, including wooden hulled vessels. These permanent and cost-free identifiers are used worldwide to trace vessels and prevent illegal fishing. Expanding their use would align the GFCM with global best practice and close existing transparency gaps.
• Enforce the GFCM compliance mechanism by Mediterranean countries, partially adopted in 2023 and which enters into force this year.  This new tool will allow the GFCM to act when a Member fails to follow binding rules on fisheries management. However, this mechanism needs to be fully adopted to be able to assess all types of irregularities.  The Med Sea Alliance urges the GFCM to finalise it, ensuring countries are also assessed for compliance with data reporting requirements (category B) and control and enforcement measures (category C).   
• Encourage the GFCM to advance discussions on at sea monitoring, including Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM). Establishing a dedicated forum or working group would help explore how on-the-water tools, from human observers to REM (the use of video cameras, GPS, and sensors) could be used to harmonise data collection, strengthen compliance, and ensure quality data is used to make informed decisions across Mediterranean fisheries.

“The GFCM has the key to turn the tide on Mediterranean fisheries by requiring IMO numbers in all vessels. At the same time, for the first time in its history, GFCM member countries have the power to address non-compliance and prevent the failure of its rules. These two measures are essential to stop illegal fishing and help rebuild Mediterranean fish stocks. We therefore demand the political will to take action”, says Alexandra Cousteau, Senior Advisor to Oceana. 

At the GFCM’s Annual Meeting , the Med Sea Alliance urges Mediterranean countries’ governments to use this opportunity to tackle non-compliance, and increase transparency, and monitoring in the fishing sector. These actions are essential to rebuild fish stocks, protect marine biodiversity, and secure the future of Mediterranean and Black Sea communities that rely on a healthy ocean.

Note to editors:

1. Positions Document: NGO priorities for the 2025 General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean, to increase transparency and effectively tackle non-compliance cases and IUU fishing in the Mediterranean is available here‍
2. Open Letter by Alexandra Cousteau to Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia about IMO numbers is available here

‍For media inquiries please contact:

Sergi Villalba Azuara, Med Sea Alliance Digital Content Officer, sergi@medseaalliance.org