On Black Sea Day, we celebrate the +3000 fishers and other stakeholders who participated in awareness campaigns in the Black Sea.

Since 2023, the GFCM has been conducting regional awareness campaigns along the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Türkiye to promote the conservation of vulnerable and endangered marine species, specifically sturgeons, cetaceans and piked dogfish.

These awareness campaigns took place within BlackSea4Fish capacity development initiatives, with the support of the FishEBM BS project, specifically in the context of the CetaByM and sturgeon pilot studies and the piked dogfish research programme. They form part of a broader strategy to engage stakeholders in the sustainable management of Black Sea fisheries.

Unlike traditional conservation campaigns focused on message dissemination, the GFCM adopted a participatory approach based on stakeholder engagement and evidence-based conservation actions. This two-way exchange allowed not only to inform stakeholders but also to learn from their experiences.

Together towards the recovery of the iconic Black Sea sturgeons

The alarming status of Black Sea sturgeons and the challenges posed by their complex life cycles have led the GFCM to launch a pilot project to support their recovery.

Sturgeons have inhabited the planet since the time of the dinosaurs. They are among the most iconic species of the Black Sea, yet they are also among the most threatened. Although sturgeon fishing is prohibited across the Black Sea, the species are nevertheless affected by multiple threats.

The sturgeon pilot project aims to gather data on sturgeon biology, ecology and interactions with fisheries through awareness campaigns and fisher engagement, and to assess bycatch and illegal fishing, thereby laying the foundations for informed management measures.

Collaboration among Black Sea countries, backed by international frameworks and community engagement, offers the best hope for securing the future of sturgeons in this ecologically vital region.

Guidance on safe handling and release of piked dogfish and sturgeons

These practical tools are intended for fisheries stakeholders in the Black Sea to help them identify the species, apply safe release practices when the species are incidentally caught during fishing operations, and systematically collect data on incidental catch and vitality conditions.

Piked dogfish: EN | BG | KA | RO | TR | UK
Sturgeons: EN | BG | KA | RO | TR | UK

The awareness raising activities conducted in the Black Sea were made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union and the Global Environment Facility.