Fish in the Mediterranean: stock recovery means fishermen's recovery by Karmenu Vella. - Main contents

The facts are undisputed: fish stocks in the Mediterranean are shrinking. Some are on the verge of depletion. All in all, 93% of the fish stocks assessed are over-exploited.

The European Commission, committed to our agenda on jobs and growth, is extremely concerned as to what this could mean for the thousands of fishermen in the Med. This is why the European Commission is launching a Mediterranean strategy to improve the state of fishing stocks. On 27 April we will have a Ministerial conference after a major forum at Europe’s biggest industry event in the sector: the Seafood Expo.

There are several reasons for this bad state of fish stocks. Pollution and climate change certainly play a role. But there can be no doubt that extensive overfishing is one of the key causes. True: for many stocks - actually, for far too many, we still don't know enough. In the Eastern part of the Mediterranean, for instance, serious gaps in time series prevent us from drawing meaningful conclusions. In addition, half of all fish we catch in the Mediterranean are not even recorded. There is only a partial picture. The empirical data is equally dismal: fishermen report they catch less and less fish every year. Their livelihoods, indeed their very industry, are at risk.

The European Commission's new Mediterranean strategy is a commitment to fish stock recovery, so that we can fulfil our commitment to the fishermen's recovery. Our strategy is built on many years spent instilling a sense of solidarity among fishermen.

In 2003 the Mediterranean's nations signed a declaration that laid the foundation to improve scientific research, protect vulnerable areas and limit the fishing effort. EU member states reduced their fleets in an effort to ensure sustainable fishing. Our legislation features national and international fisheries management plans, catch limitations, and environmental requirements. Intense multilateral cooperation encourages all the countries that border the Med. to play by the same rules.

And experience shows that we can be successful - when we tackle challenges collectively. Take the outstanding recovery of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. We came together, we took concerted action, we achieved results. Fishermen who were questioning the recovery plan yesterday are praising its effects today. But we need to go much further.

Thankfully, there is now a real shared sense that we have to act across all stocks. At a recent conference in Catania in February, Italy, I met fishermen associations, European scientists, and NGOs. All were on the same page as Government representatives present. This political will is what is needed to deliver a comprehensive approach that takes all Mediterranean neighbours on board.

The EU took the lead on blue-fin tuna. We have been proven right in taking that stance. Now we must extend that success across other fish species, across national territories and across fishing traditions.

Several fisheries ministers from EU and non-EU countries around the Mediterranean will be in Brussels for the Seafood Expo Global fair at the end of April. I aim to build on the momentum established at Catania. We will start on a follow-up joint Declaration on sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean that, this time next year, should give new vision and impetus to conservation and the sustainability in the Med.

For this I have also been in contact with some of the EU's key partners in the Mediterranean. I have been to Algeria, Turkey, and have met with Tunisian representatives in the last month alone. All show an understanding of the urgency and a willingness to act. This sense of engagement from all actors in as many countries as possible around the Mediterranean is what fishermen require.

Joint efforts and commitment to our strategy will lead to the long term rewards that the fishermen from around this great sea deserve.

Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.