Fao: 73% of commercial fish species in the Mediterranean and Black Seas are overfished
7 December 2022 Sustainable Development Goals
The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries report, released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, shows that overfishing in the Mediterranean and Black Sea has decreased significantly over the past decade, but the level of exploitation of most commercial fish stocks is far from sustainable.
The State of Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea is updated every two years. This year’s report comes at a critical time as the international community gears up for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and hopes to negotiate a new Global Biodiversity Framework, creating an opportunity to highlight the importance of fisheries for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity.
The latest report found that production in the fisheries sector has fallen by about 15% since 2020, partly due to the impact of COVID-19; In turn, industry revenues and job opportunities have declined. While overfishing in the Mediterranean and Black Seas has improved, 73% of commercial fish species are still overfished.
Miguel Bernal, the new Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, said: “In the 2030 Strategy published by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, members have set new targets to address this challenge. They are well aware that reversing the decline of aquatic resources is critical, as is aligning profits with sustainable outcomes. The new strategy sets out an ambitious vision and calls for stronger coordinated action.”
Sustainable fisheries require effective management
The report found that while most commercial fish species have not yet achieved sustainable levels of exploitation, fishing pressures on almost all of these species have fallen below the regional average.
European cod in the Mediterranean, halibut in the Black Sea, and common flounder in the Adriatic Sea, whose populations are all managed under one or more programs, are significantly less overfished, and some of these species are already showing signs of rebuilding their biomass.
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean has implemented 10 multi-year fisheries management plans for high-priority fish stocks, involving nearly 7,000 vessels, and established 10 fisheries restriction zones to reduce fishing in more than 1.7 million square kilometres of the Mediterranean and Black Seas and improve the protection of fish stocks and deep-sea ecosystems.
Manuel Barange, FAO Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, said the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries report highlighted the challenges of ensuring sustainability in this critical region.
“The Mediterranean and Black Sea are among the most overfished fishing regions in the world, but we have also seen determination and efforts to strengthen the effective management of resources in the region in recent years,” Berridge said. A blue transformation of the fisheries sector is the only way to ensure that fisheries remain productive and sustain fishermen’s livelihoods for generations to come.”
An aging workforce and the threat of unemployment
According to the report, fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea generate $2.9 billion in annual revenue and create around 500,000 jobs across the fishing value chain. On average, one in every 1,000 coastal residents in the region is a fisherman, and in some coastal areas this proportion can increase to more than tenfold.
However, the workforce in the fisheries sector is increasingly aging. In 2020, more than half of the crew will be over the age of 40, and only 10% will be under the age of 25. According to the latest data from the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries report, the ageing trend is accelerating.
Small-scale fisheries account for 82 per cent of the fishing fleet, 59 per cent of jobs and employ the highest number of young people. But small-scale fishermen often earn less than half the wages of those in industrial fleets.
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean has 23 member States and organizations whose main objectives are to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of Marine living resources and to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture.