The GFCM contributes to biodiversity conservation
The Convention on Biological Diversity acknowledges that spatial management measures, such as FRAs , can help preserve biodiversity.
Two decades ago, the GFCM, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, established its first Fisheries Restricted Area in the Mediterranean and Black Sea to support fisheries management.
In 2025, the 11th FRA will come into effect. While Marine Protected Areas are widely known for conserving marine biodiversity, the Convention on Biological Diversity recognizes that other measures like FRAs are also vital for biodiversity preservation.
The GFCM has used spatial management measures for fisheries and biodiversity conservation. In 2005, it pioneered a deep-sea FRA to protect deep-sea ecosystems from bottom trawling. Since then, 10 more FRAs have been established.
These areas aim to improve fisheries productivity by protecting essential fish habitats and vulnerable marine ecosystems from harmful fishing practices. The latest FRA, set in the Otranto Channel in 2024, will protect both important habitats for crustacean species and vulnerable ecosystems like the deep-sea soft coral Isidella elongata.
For Nedo Vrgoč, PhD, Head of Laboratory of Fisheries Science, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Croatia “Essential fish habitats play a key role in preserving renewable resources and ensuring long-term sustainable recruitment. Known as the areas with the largest biomass of marine organisms, they are often the main fishing areas for certain fisheries. In a situation of excessive exploitation, one of the most effective forms of protection is the establishment of restrictive spatial and temporal regulations in these areas.”
The screening and reporting of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures remains the responsibility of individual countries, but FAO and the GFCM are helping their members through training and support. The FAO Handbook offers guidance on how area-based management tools for fisheries can qualify as fisheries OECMs.
The GFCM is focused on strengthening FRAs as tools for both fisheries sustainability and biodiversity conservation. FRAs are integrated into fisheries management plans or monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) plans. The GFCM also regularly monitors compliance in existing FRAs through MCS measures, such as joint inspections at sea between multiple countries to prevent illegal fishing.
For instance, the Strait of Sicily has a GFCM joint inspection scheme that enforces FRAs in areas like the East of Adventure Bank and the West of Gela Basin.
The GFCM is conducting pilot studies on the deep-sea Fisheries Restricted Area to assess the socioeconomic impact of demersal fisheries at depths between 800 and 1000 meters, considering a possible adjustment of the FRA’s depth limit to 800 meters.
In 2020, the GFCM launched a database to track sensitive benthic habitats and species, helping experts identify areas needing attention from fisheries managers. This database compiles data on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem indicators from various sources, including scientific surveys, oceanographic campaigns, and fishing activities. It is the primary resource for identifying benthic biodiversity hotspots and is used by GFCM experts to advise the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries. Additionally, the GFCM’s MedSea4Fish and BlackSea4Fish programs support members in conducting standardized surveys that contribute to the database and help identify new essential fish habitats and potential FRAs.