The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) has launched an online interactive tool to map initiatives and projects addressing small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. This tool was created with the partnership of the WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative, the Black Sea Advisory Council (BlSAC), CIHEAM-Bari, the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) and the Mediterranean Advisory Council (MEDAC).

The mapping tool serves as a resource to promote awareness of past, present and future projects on small-scale fisheries being carried out in the region. The accumulation of this information, and consequently, its visibility, will help build synergies among these projects and support the scaling up of results regionally. The mapping of SSF initiatives will provide an overview of projects supporting small-scale fisheries in our region in one clear and concise location. This tool can help streamline SSF initiatives and clarify the important work occurring in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

This interactive mapping tool will help meet targets set by the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea that was adopted in 2018 by 18 Mediterranean and Black Sea countries, as well as the European Union. The RPOA-SSF is a political commitment, setting forth a roadmap to address challenges and opportunities for the small-scale fisheries sector. The mapping tool facilitates the monitoring and implementation of the RPOA-SSF and aims to capture all relevant contributions. Each project is associated with the relevant RPOA-SSF thematic sections and specific topics it addresses. Therefore, the tool will be beneficial in identifying gaps in implementation as well as defining areas in need of further investment in order to better support the coastal communities that rely on this sector for their livelihoods and as a source of healthy food, while also promoting the long-term sustainability of the marine environment upon which this sector.

All relevant stakeholders – including SSF cooperatives, fisheries administrations, civil society organizations, researchers and more – are welcome to contribute to this tool. If you are implementing projects in support of small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, please contribute to the tool by completing this form to give visibility to your projects and help keep the as complete and up-to-date as possible. If your project is located in multiple locations, kindly submit one form per location.

Access to the mapping of SSF initiatives 

Thank you for your collaboration!