General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - GFCM

Management plan | Demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea

In order to address issues related to an intense multispecies demersal fishery, a multiannual management plan towards the sustainable fishing of European hake (Merluccius merluccius), Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), common sole (Solea solea), deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) and red mullet (Mullus barbatus), by means of otter trawls, beam trawls, bottom pair trawls and otter twin trawls in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas (GSAs) 17–18), was adopted in 2019.

This plan was the product of extensive work carried out by relevant countries and the Subregional Committee for the Adriatic Sea – this also resulted in the implementation of a fisheries restricted area (FRA) in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit in 2017 .

MAIN PROVISIONS

Two-step approach:

  1. Initial transitional fishing effort regime in 2020–2021 aimed at decreasing effort by set percentages (12 percent for otter trawls and 16 percent for beam trawls compared to the annual effort of 2015 or the average of 2015–2018)
  2. Yearly fishing effort quotas in 2022–2026
  • Conduct a yearly assessment of the status of these key stocks along with the biological, economic and social implications of implementing alternative management scenarios
  • Encourage the establishment of FRAs for demersal fishing, particularly in the northern and southern Adriatic, and offer several options for spatio-temporal restrictions in coastal/territorial waters
  • Implement specific measures addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities (e.g. designated landing and transshipping times and locations, electronic catch declarations, authorized vessels, use of VMS)
  • Establish an observation and inspection programme to ensure compliance with the conservation and management measures contained in the recommendation

Learn more about the GFCM's management plans.