News from the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean marks its 70th anniversary this year, a significant milestone for the organization as it looks to the future.

The GFCM is a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO), established in 1949 under the provisions of Article XIV of the Constitution of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Three years later, the agreement to create the GFCM came into force.

The Commission’s anniversary was celebrated on the opening day of the 45th session of the GFCM held 8-11 November in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

With 23 Members including countries from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea as well as the EU, the GFCM’s main objective is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea.

Over the years its role has expanded, and its mandate is more relevant now than ever.

“The GFCM has evolved from a tool for countries to discuss fishery-related issues to a commission which adopts binding recommendations for fisheries and aquaculture in the region,” says Roland Kristo, Chairperson of the GFCM.

“It is now equipped with mechanisms to collect and assess data and that enables members to make informed decisions which will ensure compliance and support the development of projects of common interest that support sustainability and biodiversity.” 

Sustainability is a major issue. According to the GFCM’s The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020 report, 75 percent of fish stocks are impacted by overfishing and sustainable management is essential to conserve resources which are a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people.

With six research programmes ongoing or in development, the GFCM enforces new and better management measures at regional and subregional level.

Through the Commission, countries are collaborating to safeguard resources, to decide on common measures and minimum standards which lay the foundations for future laws and regulations, and to also develop fisheries data collection systems to inform decisions and policies. 

Members are also able to exchange knowledge and good practices on fisheries and aquaculture at all levels, from sector growth, commercial opportunities and trade, to common standards and practices.

Fishers, conservationists, scientists and government authorities are currently working with the GFCM to better understand the impact of around 1000 non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean and to help countries improve their mitigation and management measures.

GFCM members are now looking to the future and want the evolution of the organization to be reflected in its visual identity, so a new logo will be unveiled within the celebrations for the 70th birthday.