EU pledges to revive Mediterranean aquaculture and fisheries

Both types of seafood have been hit badly by various problems over the past two years, particularly involving some aspects of mussel farming around Greece.

The commitment was taken at the high-level ministerial conference under the MedFish4Ever organisation held last week in Nicosia. The event was co-organised by the European Commission and the Republic of Cyprus.

The new declaration sets an ambitious course for the next decade of action on Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture, building on the cooperation framework established in 2017.

The EU and Mediterranean countries committed to continue their cooperation to rebuild Mediterranean fish stocks, agreeing to adopt what is being called a new MedFish4Ever Declaration in 2027.

Since the original declaration was signed in 2017, half of Mediterranean fish stocks have started to recover from previous  overfishing . The better news is that aquaculture has started to contribute to food security.

The new declaration sets out out a unified approach for the next decade and identifies a number of priorities to underpin the new declaration.

These include stronger governance: enforcing measures, combating illegal fishing and reducing fleet overcapacity; a science led recovery; expanding management plans and protected areas; and partnering with fishing and aquaculture companies in research.

The Commission says that, as elsewhere around the world, climate change is accelerating pressures, and small-scale aquaculture and fishing communities face economic hardships, as young people turn away from the profession.

A climate resilience approach adapting fisheries and aquaculture management by turning various challenges into opportunities will also be adopted.