Rome | H.E. Hassan Lakiss, Minister of Agriculture of Lebanon and Mr Abdellah Srour, Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) signed today a letter of agreement to strengthen their collaboration towards responsible fisheries and sustainable aquaculture development in the eastern Mediterranean, in support of national priorities of Lebanon.

In line with its mandate, the GFCM will provide technical assistance to the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture for the execution of the following activities:

1. Contributing to the new Lebanese framework legislation on fisheries and aquaculture;
2. Contributing to monitoring control and surveillance for Lebanese small-scale fisheries
3. Supporting tools for administrators and inspectors
4. Enabling the development of  marine aquaculture
5. Carrying out an evaluation of the current status of aquaculture in Lebanon
6. Supporting better management of fisheries resources
7. Supporting the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea at the national level
8. Facilitating the participation of Lebanese experts in GFCM activities and meetings of relevance to this letter of agreement.

These activities will be conducted within the framework of the “Concerted Actions for Lebanon” initiative launched in Rome in 2012 and the ensuing five-year strategic programme (2014-2019) covering the following five priorities:  

1. support the elaboration of multiannual management plans
2. support the development of national fisheries data collection systems
3. support the sustainable development of aquaculture
4. strengthen the applicable regulatory and institutional frameworks
5. general actions regarding the organization of relevant sectors related to fisheries and aquaculture.

As this first strategic programme is coming to an end, a new roadmap will be developed according to the new challenges and priorities for the country. The GFCM will assist Lebanon to design this new roadmap that will be shared with partners and donors during the first half of 2020.