EU and Mediterranean countries have agreed to adopt a new MedFish4Ever Declaration in 2027, renewing a joint commitment to rebuild fish stocks in the region.
The decision was taken at a high-level ministerial conference in Nicosia, Cyprus, co-organised by the European Commission and the Republic of Cyprus, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries reported on Tuesday.
Half of Mediterranean fish stocks have started to recover since the first MedFish4Ever Declaration was signed in 2017, the Commission said.
It added that some demersal species — fish that live near the seabed — in the Adriatic, including hake, have reached Maximum Sustainable Yield for the first time, meaning catches are at a level considered sustainable over the long term.
More than half of assessed stocks in the Mediterranean remain overfished.
Priorities set out for the next declaration
Five priority areas were identified for the next phase of cooperation, including stronger enforcement against illegal fishing and efforts to reduce fleet overcapacity, the Commission said.
It also listed expanded science-led management plans and protected areas, support for small-scale fishers, measures to improve climate resilience in fisheries and aquaculture, and continued regional cooperation through the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean.
The original MedFish4Ever Declaration was signed in March 2017 by 16 Mediterranean countries and the European Commission, setting out a ten-year vision for fisheries and aquaculture in the region.
