For thousands of years, small-scale fisheries (SSF) have been integral to societies and cultures around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. They contribute significantly to food security and provide valuable employment opportunities, particularly in vulnerable coastal communities. Small-scale fisheries also play a key role in maintaining local traditions and cultural heritage in the region, creating added value for other related sectors, such as the region’s restaurant and tourism industries. Today, SSF make up the overwhelming majority of the fishing fleet in the region.

The GFCM is taking concerted action to promote the long-term sustainability of SSF in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, enhancing data collection, engaging with SSF stakeholders, developing capacity and driving political support for this important fishing sector. The ultimate aim will be to incorporate SSF issues into the core fisheries work, according to a two-pronged approach where, on the one hand, data are enhanced to improve stock assessment of key species and, on the other hand, participatory approaches to fisheries management are encouraged. To support this work the GFCM has a dedicated Working Group on Small-Scale Fisheries (WGSSF) which aims to coordinate technical, scientific and socioeconomic activities relating to SSF, in line with the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (RPOA-SSF) and relevant outputs of the https://www.fao.org/gfcm/2030strategy/en/.