MedSea4Fish is the GFCM capacity development programme for the Mediterranean Sea. Established in 2021, its main objective is to work with member countries to address national and regional fishery priorities – scientific, economic, social and environmental – on the path towards a sustainable future.
Through targeted resources, training and technical assistance, MedSea4Fish helps address capacity gaps where support is most needed, contributing to a more level playing field across the Mediterranean in terms of knowledge, expertise and infrastructure.
MedSea4Fish supports GFCM countries in accessing the latest data and information, best practices, tools and technologies, in order to provide robust scientific advice for improved fisheries management.
In line with the GFCM mandate and the objectives of the GFCM 2030 Strategy, MedSea4Fish is an integral part of the GFCM decision-making process. By strengthening the capacity of Mediterranean countries to collect, analyse and report fisheries data, it contributes to improving the quality of inputs provided to the GFCM subregional committees and expert groups and. This enables the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries to provide stronger and more comprehensive advice to inform decisions by the GFCM at its annual session, while also advancing specific national priorities.
Objectives
MedSea4Fish is built around three core components:
Knowledge - Fisheries and ecosystem monitoring
- Data collection
- Field and laboratory research
- Scientific and socioeconomic surveys
Effective monitoring underpins the formulation of sound scientific advice. Through a wide range of activities, MedSea4Fish supports the regular collection of comprehensive biological, fleet and socioeconomic data at the national level.
These activities include stock assessment data preparation and analyses, harmonized scientific surveys-at-sea, management-oriented research for select species and fisheries, socioeconomic surveys, bycatch and depredation monitoring, biological sampling and laboratory analysis, social studies and research on emerging challenges such as pollution, non-indigenous species and climate change.
Expertise - Training and capacity development
- Expert meetings and exchanges
- Training of trainers
- Regional and subregional fora
The demand for increasingly detailed scientific advice and the emergence of new tools and technologies to support it requires substantial efforts in capacity development, training and sharing of expertise and best practices among fishers, fish workers, scientists and administrators across the region. To meet the needs of each country, MedSea4Fish runs a range of tailored courses and ad hoc training sessions, training-of-trainers programmes, as well as data preparation meetings for stock assessment, study tours and exchanges.
Along with fostering collaboration among institutes and stakeholders within and across national borders, this component places a strong emphasis on inclusivity, participation and engagement.
Infrastructure - Provision of facilities and technology
- Procurement of equipment and services
- Enhancement of facilities
- Innovative solutions
Improvements in infrastructure can make an important contribution to a more efficient and sustainable fisheries sector. MedSea4Fish supports the upgrade, expansion and construction of key facilities in Mediterranean countries, providing the technology and tools needed to strengthen and maximize national capacities.
MedSea4Fish works to improve facilities and equipment, including structural upgrades, in order to contribute more cost-efficient, ecologically safe and less-polluting fleets and fisheries services.
MedSea4Fish is structured to enable cross-sectoral opportunities that cut across these components, strengthening its contribution to levelling the playing field in the Mediterranean Sea. It encourages technical cooperation between research and policy institutes on specific topics, the exchange of best practices and the creation of expert hubs to share specialist knowledge and facilities.
How we work
MedSea4Fish implementation is directed by a guiding document, and activities are agreed and delivered through both a bottom-up approach and a top-down approach. National priorities inform discussions at the subregional and regional levels, while GFCM workplans, decisions and the GFCM 2030 Strategy help shape priorities to be addressed and guide action at all levels.
Within each country, a two-year programme of activities is agreed in advance and set out in a national plan, overseen by a national MedSea4Fish focal point. The GFCM subregional technical units support the MedSea4Fish Coordinator and the overall implementation of MedSea4Fish activities at the national and subregional levels.
A steering committee provides strategic guidance and oversight, coordinating MedSea4Fish activities and supporting their planning, implementation, monitoring, review and reporting, in alignment with national priorities and the GFCM workplan.
MedSea4Fish is a multi-partner initiative operating in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, bringing together a wide range of fisheries stakeholders from across the region.
Scientists and other experts
The work of scientists and experts – usually carried out within national fisheries institutes and authorities – forms the foundation of the GFCM advisory process, establishing the knowledge base that underpins scientific advice and technical assistance. Strengthening their capacity contributes to more robust and effective advisory outcomes.
Fishers and fish workers
Especially in small-scale fisheries, fishers and fish workers have a vital role to play in data collection, traceability and scientific monitoring. They should also be empowered to participate in decisions that affect them. Through training, technical support and financial assistance, MedSea4Fish helps strengthen their capacity, diversify their activities and improve their livelihoods.
Administration representatives
As a regional programme encompassing national objectives, MedSea4Fish works closely with administration representatives in each country to provide the means and tools needed to strengthen fisheries management capacity, plan national contributions, participate in GFCM processes and deliver against GFCM requirements.
Partner organizations
Partnerships and collaborations with a range of organizations and fora are fundamental to MedSea4Fish, fostering synergies while avoiding duplication and maximizing the strategic and operational strengths of each partner and scaling up amplify overall impact. Partner organizations play a key role in implementing targeted activities on the ground, as well as in developing and sharing knowledge and best practices across the region.
Resources
Explore meetings reports, technical documents and publications from MedSea4Fish.
Read more
Contacts
Othman Jarboui
MedSea4Fish Steering Committee Chair
Paolo Carpentieri
MedSea4Fish Technical coordinator
Inner pages MENU - Capacity development
Fisheries
Aquaculture ComplianceMedSea4Fish operates at the regional, subregional and national levels.
For more information on current activities across the Mediterranean, please visit the following pages:
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