As representatives of Mediterranean countries gather from Monday 6 to Friday 10 November in Split, Croatia, for the 46th annual session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), NGOs called, on Monday 6 November, for the adoption of a system of corrective measures that would enable the GFCM to punish illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and cases of non-compliance in its region.
This system, which already exists in other regional fisheries management organisations, would enable the GFCM to take action against countries that consistently disregard fisheries regulations.
A number of organisations in the Med Sea Alliance (MSA), including Oceana and ClientEarth, argue that creating such a compliance mechanism is crucial for the Mediterranean’s biodiversity, fish stock recovery, and the communities that rely on marine resources.
“At the moment, the GFCM cannot act when countries systematically fail to follow its requirements on, for example, fleet control or properly reporting on their fishing activities. But with such a system in place, the GFCM could apply measures such as suspending fishing authorisations or requiring increased controls”, explained Helena Álvarez from Oceana. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)