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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The fourth meeting of the Subregional Committee for the Adriatic Sea (SRC-AS) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) was held at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF) in Split (Croatia) from 23 to 24 May 2019. The SRC-AS in 2019 addressed specific issues related to the management of fisheries in the subregion, including: i) the management of small pelagic and demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea, including in relation to Recommendation GFCM/42/2018/8 on further emergency measures in 2019-2021 for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas [GSAs] 17 and 18); ii) the implementation of Recommendationn GFCM/41/2017/3 on the establishment of a fisheries restricted area (FRA) in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit in the Adriatic Sea, Resolution GFCM/41/2017/5 on a network of essential fish habitats in the GFCM area of application and Recommendation GFCM/41/2017/6 on the submission of data on fishing activities in the GFCM area of application; and iii) the identification of subregional priorities, such as issues related to the provision of advice, priority species and the mid-term strategy.

The SRC-AS formulated a draft advice based on the results of the benchmark session for sardine and anchovy and on the workshop for the assessment of management scenarios, and compiled relevant information in reply to Recommendation GFCM/42/2018/8 so to enable the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC) to provide elements for the update of the technical contents of the original management plan for small pelagic species (Recommendation GFCM/40/2016/3 on establishing further emergency measures in 2017 and 2018 for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea [GSA 17 and GSA 18]). The SRC-AS discussed the urgent need to advance on the management of demersal fisheries due to their dire state in the Adriatic and agreed to submit technical elements for their management to the attention of the SAC. The SRC-AS also examined and made technical comments to FRA proposals in the south Adriatic and in the Bari Canyon and agreed to present the latter proposal to the SAC for final validation and potential submission to the Commission. It also analysed the preliminary results of the monitoring of the Jabuka/Pomo pit FRA, recognising the effectiveness of such area-based management measures and agreeing to conduct work following this example to establish other FRAs. Finally, the SRC-AS revised priority actions for the region, especially in relation to small-scale fisheries, and agreed on a proposed work plan to be submitted to the consideration of the SAC.