Fisheries and ecosystem-based management for the Black Sea | General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - GFCM | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The “Fisheries and ecosystem-based management for the Black Sea” project (FishEBM BS) aims to reverse the overexploitation of select commercial living marine resources by enhancing the capacity of Black Sea countries to manage fisheries, including through the application of ecosystem-based management tools.

The FishEBM BS project is committed to strengthening the productivity of Black Sea fisheries while ensuring their sustainability. The project entails a shift toward a more participatory approach to fisheries and a change in thinking on policy and management by both government agencies and stakeholder groups.

Expected outputs

Strengthened capacity to manage commercial fisheries, with particular focus on small-scale fisheries
Enhanced integration of emerging monitoring, control and surveillance technologies in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Integrated ecosystem-based management tools and ecosystem approach to biodiversity protection and sustainable fisheries
Knowledge management and outscaling

Total contribution	USD 5 000 000
Duration	2023–2026
Funded by
Implemented by	Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Executed by	General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
Beneficiaries	Georgia, Türkiye, and Ukraine.

News

From policy to action: major advances in the fight against IUU fishing

Countries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea are taking action to level the playing field for legitimate fishers in the region and ensure that seafood is obtained through regulated activities.

Read on X

The FishEBM approach: bridging conservation and coastal livelihoods

A holistic approach to the sustainable management of fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Read on IW-Learn Read on X

Enhanced regional cooperation for a common vision: sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Black Sea

Climate varies significantly across the Black Sea, and environmental changes can be sudden, driving fish to undertake long-range, transboundary migrations for feeding, spawning, and overwintering.

Read on IW-Learn Read on X

Towards healthy ecosystems: the GFCM’s multifaceted approach to mitigating interactions between fisheries and vulnerable species

The Mediterranean and Black Sea region, despite its susceptibility to climate change and other impacts, remains one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots due to high species richness, endemism, and the occurrence of rare and vulnerable species, including marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, and several species of sharks and rays.

Read on X

Safeguarding the seas: Türkiye enhancing fishing monitoring for sustainable fisheries

Türkiye, an active beneficiary country of the GEF-funded projects FishEBM MED and FishEBM BS, has a longstanding history of promoting sustainable fisheries management in its waters, including through efforts to ensure compliance with fisheries management measures in place.

Read on IW-Learn Read on LinkedIn

GEF Council endorses two FAO/GFCM projects supporting sustainability in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has endorsed two projects of more than USD 12 million to reverse the overexploitation of select commercial fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Read on X

Insights from the beneficiary countries

Ukraine | Ukraine strengthens cooperation with the GFCM: new information materials for the conservation of vulnerable species of the Black Sea are available

Within the framework of the implementation of the FishEBM BS, experts have developed a series of information materials in Ukrainian. These resources aim to disseminate knowledge about the conservation of vulnerable species of the Black Sea.

Ukraine | State Fisheries Agency: Ukraine Strengthens Cooperation with the Black Sea Regional Commission – New Information Materials Available to Help Protect Vulnerable Species in the Black Sea

Within the framework of the implementation of the FishEBM BS, experts have developed a series of information materials in Ukrainian. These resources aim to disseminate knowledge about the conservation of vulnerable species of the Black Sea.

IEO, CSIC and ICES | Identifying future steps to allow an efficient fisheries management advice among scientific committees in regional fisheries management organizations

GFCM is also in the process of developing two mirror projects which will centre on the ecosystem approach to fisheries: The Fisheries and Ecosystem Based Management for the Black Sea (FishEBM BS) project and the Fisheries and Ecosystem Based Management for the Blue Economy of the Mediterranean (FishEBM MED) project, both with a focus on promoting blue economy.

Georgia | Ecosystem studies are underway in the Georgian waters of the Black Sea

Specialists of the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Biodiversity of the National Environmental Protection Agency of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia carry out studies at 20 pre-selected stations using a European standards tool - Demersal Trial in the coastal waters of the Black Sea of Georgia.

Türkiye | FishEBM approach: bridging conservation and coastal livelihoods

The Mediterranean and the Black Sea are regions rich in marine biodiversity, providing vital economic resources for coastal communities and beyond. In recent years, significant progress has been made in reducing overfishing, with the share of stocks subject to overfishing dropping below 60% for the first time, following a declining trend that began a decade ago. However, despite these positive developments, the sector is still under pressure, with fishing intensity remaining at about twice the level considered sustainable.
To address this situation, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved two projects in 2022 aimed at tackling overfishing in the region and promoting sustainable fisheries practices.

Ukraine | Meeting of the Steering Committee of the GCRS and GEF Black Sea Fisheries and Ecosystem Management Project (FishEBM BS)

On February 4-5, 2025, the third meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Environment Facility project "Fisheries and Ecosystem-Based Management in the Black Sea" (FishEBM BS) was held in Batumi (Georgia).
The event was attended by experts from Turkey, Ukraine and Georgia (GEF beneficiary countries), as well as representatives of FAO and SCRC. Ukraine was represented by specialists of the State Scientific Institution "Institute of Fisheries, Marine Ecology and Oceanography".

Ukraine | Representatives of the State Fisheries Agency discussed fisheries and ecosystem management in the Black Sea with international experts

Representatives of the Institute of Fisheries, of Sea Ecology and Oceanography of the State Fisheries Agency took part in the third meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Environment Facility's Fisheries Project and Ecosystem-Based Governance in the Black Sea" (FishEBM BS), which took place in Batumi (Georgia).

Ukraine | Representatives of the State Fisheries Agency joined the discussion of fisheries and management of the Black Sea ecosystem

At the beginning of March, representatives of the State Fisheries Agency took part in the second Steering Committee meeting of the GEF-funded project "Fisheries and Ecosystem-Based Management in the Black Sea" (FishEBM BS).
The event, organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GRC), with the direct support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), took place in Istanbul (Turkey).
During the meeting, the annual report on the results of the implementation of the FishEBM BS project in 2023 was presented. In particular, sectoral and innovative management tools that are used to reduce the overexploitation of aquatic biological resources and increase the productivity of the Black Sea ecosystem are presented.