Management plan | Demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea
A multiannual management plan for the long-term sustainable exploitation 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.
Established by Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/5, the multiannual management plan is the product of extensive work carried out by relevant experts, countries and the Subregional Committee for the Adriatic Sea. It represents another milestone in the continued cooperation that also resulted in the implementation of a fisheries restricted area (FRA) in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit in 2017.
MAIN PROVISIONS
- Establishes a two-step approach in fishing effort management:
- Initial transitional fishing effort regime in 2020–2021 aimed at decreasing effort by setting percentages.
- Yearly fishing effort quotas for 2022–2026 based on a yearly assessment of the status of key stocks.
- Establishes limitations on fleet capacity set to the levels recorded in the national registers in 2015 or its average over 2015–2017.
- Sets the minimum conservation reference sizes for the five target species.
- Imposes spatio-temporal restrictions aimed at protecting areas and periods recognized as important for the juveniles of demersal stocks, as well as for migration routes and spatial patterns of juvenile distribution.
- Implements specific measures addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities (e.g. designated landing and transshipping times and locations, electronic catch declarations, authorized vessels, and use of vessel monitoring system).
- Establishes an inspection scheme to ensure compliance with conservation and management measures in place.
- Encourages the establishment of FRAs for demersal fishing, particularly in the northern and southern Adriatic, and offer several options for spatio-temporal restrictions to protect spawning and nursery areas important for demersal species
Learn more about the GFCM's management plans.
OBJECTIVE
Reach maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels of exploitation for five target species in demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea by 2026.
RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation GFCM/46/2023/5 on the extension of the transitional fishing regime and the establishment of catch limits in 2024 for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18), stemming from Recommendation GFCM/44/2021/20
Recommendation GFCM/45/2022/8 on the implementation of a fishing effort regime for key demersal stocks in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18) in 2023, stemming from Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/5
Recommendation GFCM/44/2021/1 on the establishment of a fishing effort regime for key demersal stocks in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18
Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/5 on a multiannual management plan for sustainable demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18).
Recommendation GFCM/41/2017/3 on the establishment of a fisheries restricted area in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit in the Adriatic Sea.