High-level conference on MedFish4Ever Initiatives

>Mediterranean and Black Sea countries renewed political commitments to the MedFish4ever Declaration in the context of the GFCM. Awards organized for best regional practices in the fight against IUU fishing based on a peer-review assessment.

Implementation of the ten-year Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries

Priority actions identified and launched, framework developed for monitoring progress in implementation and coordination among partner organizations solidified through operationalization of the “Friends of SSF” platform.

First achievements of the BlackSea4Fish Project

During its first year of implementation, the project successfully supported capacity-building and training of Black Sea experts in select priority fields, which in turn contributed to improving the scientific advice on Black Sea fisheries.

Production of Methodologies for harmonized bycatch data collection produced

Standard protocols for the collection of data on discards and incidental catches of vulnerable species can now be applied across the region to allow for comparability of results and definition of common measures.

Implementation of Aquaculture Demonstrative Centres (ADCs) in the Black Sea

ADC units were established at NIMRD Grigore Antipa in Constanta, Romania and the CFRI in Trabzon, Turkey. Trainings were conducted and modern equipment purchased by the GFCM.

Inauguration of the GFCM subregional unit for the eastern Mediterranean

In February, the FAO subregional office in Beirut and the Ministry of Agriculture, agreed to host a GFCM subregional unit for the eastern Mediterranean. The unit begun operations shortly thereafter.

Second GFCM performance review

An independent panel of experts conducted a six months evaluation of GFCM performance and submitted a positive report to the annual session of the Commission. This included the outcomes of three sets of sub-regional consultations. The follow-up phase is currently ongoing.