The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean is a regional fisheries management organization. With 22 member countries & the EU, its main objective is to ensure the conservation and the sustainable use of living marine resources as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea.
Latest news
Non-indigenous species and fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea | The case of the blue crab
01/09/2021 | With over 900 non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean Sea and almost 300 in the Black Sea, fisheries are adapting to take into account the ever-changing marine ecosystem.
Launch of surveys-at-sea in Algeria to improve the management of fish stocks
30/08/2021 | The GFCM has signed a Letter of Agreement with Algeria for the execution of a joint pelagic and joint demersal survey in Algerian waters, with the National Centre for Research and Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CNRDPA).
Latest advice from the Working Group on the Black Sea
30/07/2021 | The ninth meeting of the Working Group on the Black Sea (WGBS) was held online from 28 to 30 July 2021. It was attended by delegates from six Black Sea countries and the European Union, as well as eight observers and representatives of the GFCM Secretariat and invited experts.
20/07/2021 | For the first time, one single document compiles all available data and historical records on the incidental catch of vulnerable species in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, in a standardized and comparable way.
The status and future of seaweed farming in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
15/07/2021 | Experts and stakeholders will come together to discuss issues including global and regional trends in seaweed production, climate change, health benefits of seaweed consumption and gastronomy, seaweed farming in the Mediterranean and more.
09/07/2021 | An ambitious commitment adopted today by 22 countries plus the European Union aims to secure a sustainable future for fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
View all GFCM news.
Latest publications
Non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
This review – in addition to providing images and descriptions of relevant species to aid in identification – presents a unique historical and regional perspective on these species’ impacts, based off many years’ worth of research. +info
Handbook for data collection on recreational fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
The main goal of this handbook is to provide a clear methodological framework to allow Mediterranean and Black Sea countries to implement suitably harmonized sampling and survey monitoring schemes for recreational fisheries. +info
Incidental catch of vulnerable species in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries: A review
This publication offers an overview of historical and current trends in the bycatch of five important groups of vulnerable species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea: seabirds, sea turtles, elasmobranchs, marine mammals and macrobenthic invertebrates. +info
Overview of mitigation measures to reduce the incidental catch of vulnerable species in fisheries
This literature review presents information on mitigation measures and techniques that have been developed and tested worldwide in order to address both the incidental catch of highly mobile species and depredation caused by dolphins. +info
View all GFCM publications.
The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (SoMFi) 2020
Biennial publication providing a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the status and trends of fisheries, based on the data regularly submitted by GFCM member countries and on the most recent information produced by the GFCM scientific bodies. +info
The Small Scale Fishers' Forum (SSF Forum)
A place for small-scale fishers and fish workers from the region to come together, share knowledge and exchange best practices to build capacity on common issues and jointly identify opportunities and alternative scenarios for their resources management. +info