General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - GFCM

Fishing fleet and capture fisheries production

Fisheries make a crucial contribution to regional food security and nutrition, and have an essential role to play in efforts to reach Sustainable Development Goal 2, namely Zero Hunger by 2030. But you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Regularly updated information about fishing fleet characteristics and activities in the GFCM area of application is crucial to monitor fishing capacity and landings in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and ensure fishery resources are being effectively and sustainably managed for the long term.

Fleet-related data include number of vessels, tonnage, engine power, fleet segments and landings per species, and are submitted by CPCs to the GFCM in line with relevant recommendations through the DCRF online platform.

GFCM ACTIONS

  • Update of key information about fleet register and fishing vessels in operation in the GFCM area of application.
  • Regular monitoring of the fishing vessels authorized to operate in geographically defined areas and targeting specific species.
  • Collation of the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about landings in the GFCM area of application.

RESOURCES

  • Data Collection Reference Framework (DCRF) (EN | FR)
  • Relevant GFCM decisions 
    • Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/2 on a management plan for the sustainable exploitation of blackspot seabream in the Alboran Sea (geographical subareas 1 to 3) (EN | FR)
    • GFCM/42/2018/4 on a multiannual management plan for sustainable trawl fisheries targeting giant red shrimp and blue and red shrimp in the Ionian Sea (geographical subareas 19, 20 and 21) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/42/2018/3 on a multiannual management plan for sustainable trawl fisheries targeting giant red shrimp and blue and red shrimp in the Levant Sea (geographical subareas 24, 25, 26 and 27) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/44/2021/20 on a multiannual management plan for the sustainable exploitation of small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18 (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/5 on a multiannual management plan for sustainable demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/6 on management measures for sustainable trawl fisheries targeting giant red shrimp and blue and red shrimp in the Strait of Sicily (geographical subareas 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/42/2018/5 on a multiannual management plan for bottom trawl fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the Strait of Sicily (geographical subareas 12 to 16), repealing Recommendations GFCM/39/2015/2 and GFCM/40/2016/4 (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/44/2021/9 on management measures for the sustainable exploitation of sprat in the Black Sea (geographical subarea 29) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/44/2021/10 on management measures for sustainable piked dogfish fisheries in the Black Sea (geographical subarea 29) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/41/2017/4 on a multiannual management plan for turbot fisheries in the Black Sea (geographical subarea 29) EN
    • Recommendation GFCM/42/2018/1 on a multiannual management plan for European eel in the Mediterranean Sea (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/41/2017/6 on the submission of data on fishing activities in the GFCM area of application (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/40/2016/2 on the progressive implementation of data submission in line with the GFCM Data Collection Reference Framework (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/33/2009/5 on the establishment of the GFCM regional fleet register (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/33/2009/6 concerning the establishment of a GFCM record of vessels over 15 metres authorized to operate in the GFCM area of application (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/30/2006/2 on the establishment of a closed season for the dolphin fish fisheries using fish aggregation devices (FADs) (EN | FR)
    • Recommendation GFCM/36/2012/1 on further measures for the exploitation of red coral in the GFCM area (EN | FR)
  • Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (FWP). Data collection systems (STATLANT system of questionnaires)
  • Status and Trends of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries, Status of the fishing fleet |The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020
  • Management of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries, Implementing the regional plan | The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020