Overfishing in the Mediterranean has decreased, falling by 31% in ten years

Although overfishing remains a concern, the report says Status of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2023 (‘Status of Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 2023’) (SoMFi 2023) states that: This figure fell 15% last year; This is a development consistent with continued declines in fishing pressure, which has fallen by 31% since 2012.

The report forms the flagship publication of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). This year’s report also includes data on the region’s seafood farming sector for the first time.

fountain of wealth

The GFCM, a regional fisheries management body, is responsible for wild catches and marine and brackish aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. SoMFi 2023 figures show that fishing and aquaculture together produced almost 2 million tonnes of seafood in 2021. From an economic perspective, both played an equally important role. Generates more than $20 billion in revenue and supports 700,000 jobs throughout the value chain.

“This special issue of SoMFi provides a comprehensive look at this vital sector, reinforcing its importance to livelihoods, food security and nutrition in our region,” said CGPM Secretary General Miguel Bernal.

Fishing with a fishing boat in the high seas Efe

‘We have worked extensively with countries and their experts to collect and analyze high-quality data, and this is what makes SoMFi an important tool for supporting decision-making and monitoring progress towards achieving sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. “Sea,” he added.

Fishing pressure remains too great

Although overexploitation of fish stocks has decreased significantly, fishing pressure in the Mediterranean and Black Seas is still twice the level considered sustainable.

But the report also shows that CGPM is constantly focused on expanding coverage. management plans and technical and spatial measures provide positive results in the case of important commercial species. European hake stocks in the Mediterranean, turbot in the Black Sea and flounder stocks in the Adriatic Sea, all monitored through specific management plans, have shown a surprising reduction in overfishing and signs of recovery in biomass have already been observed in some cases.

Some populations subject to management plans are experiencing above-average reductions in fishing pressure. The most notable examples include: A 77% reduction in Adriatic sole, which has already achieved sustainable exploitation rates, as well as a 73% reduction in Black Sea turbot.

Key species are recovering oceania

In line with the 2030 Strategy guidelines and after incorporating FAO’s Blue Transformation vision, CGPM has 10 multi-annual management plans in place, involving approximately 7,000 ships. Moreover, Protects sensitive species and vulnerable marine ecosystems, including deep-sea corals, as well as essential fish habitatsLike spawning and breeding areas. Currently, ten restricted fishing zones have been declared in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, covering an area of ​​more than 1.75 million square kilometers.

Catch throughout the region is largely dominated by small pelagic species, particularly European anchovy and European sardine. While 90 percent of the catch in the Mediterranean corresponds to 55 species, 5 species are enough to represent the same rate in the Black Sea.

Global capture fisheries production levels have remained stable in recent yearsThe country with the most extraction is Turkey, followed by Italy and Tunisia.

Small-scale vessels make up the vast majority of the fishing fleet and account for more than half of total employment. Although they account for only 15% of the catch, these boats contribute almost 30% of the total revenue.

Aquaculture is growing rapidly

SoMFi, unlike catch fishing, The seafood farming industry is growing rapidly in the region. Over the past decade, marine and brackish aquaculture production has almost doubled, increasing by 91.3%. Revenue increased by 74.5%.

Aquaculture in Spain Information

The three main production methods used in the region are sea cages, ponds and suspended culture, and the most commonly grown species are sea bream, sea bass and Mediterranean mussels.

Türkiye, Egypt and Greece are the three largest regional producers in this order. and together they represent 71% of total volume.

This special edition of SoMFi comes just a year after the previous SoMFi. It presents its results in a short format and marks the beginning of a new two-year cycle of the series, with the next edition planned for 2025.

Spain, fishing power

Spain is the sixth producer in the Mediterranean. fishing volume (8.6% of total, 57,163 tonnes), average 2020-2021) and in revenue (10% of the total, approximately 272 million euros). It is the second largest producer in the Western Mediterranean after Algeria.

There are 1,953 ships in the Spanish fleetIt consists mostly of small-sized vessels (50%), followed by trawlers and beam trawlers (32%).

Spain also stands out for its trade volume (exports and imports on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean sides), a negative balance of around 25% (25% more imports than exports) and a total trade value of close to 12 billion euros. According to FAO data [SoMFi 2022].

Reference work: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc8888en

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