On Tuesday 5 May in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, the European Union and the Mediterranean countries pledged to continue their efforts to ensure the recovery of fish stocks in the Mediterranean.
The parties have agreed to adopt a new MedFish4Ever declaration in 2027, when Greece holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU - from 1 July to 31 December 2027.
This commitment was made at the high-level ministerial conference held in Nicosia, co-organised by the European Commission and the Republic of Cyprus.
According to the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis, “the reality is grim”. The Mediterranean remains one of the most overexploited seas in the world. “We can reverse the trend and improve the situation, if we act with urgency and unity”, he concluded.
Since the initial declaration was signed in 2017, half of Mediterranean fish stocks have begun to recover. In the Adriatic, demersal stocks such as hake have reached Maximum Sustainable Yield for the first time. Fisheries restricted areas deliver positive spillover effects and selective fishing gear is reducing bycatch.
However, over half of assessed stocks remain overfished. Illegal fishing and fleet overcapacity continue to undermine the sector, climate change is accelerating pressures, and small-scale fishing communities face economic hardships, as young people turn away from the profession.
The participants identified five priority avenues to support the next declaration: stronger governance (combating illegal fishing and reducing fleet overcapacity), science-led recovery (expanding management plans and protected areas), a fair transition (targeted support for small-scale fishers, generational renewal and gender equality), climate resilience (managing non-indigenous species) and solidarity and partnership (modernising the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, GFCM).
The MedFish4Ever declaration, signed in March 2017 by 16 Mediterranean countries and the European Commission, established a ten-year vision for the sustainability of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sector. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)