A workshop held in Tangier by the General Fisheries Council of the Mediterranean (GFCM) within the framework of the 2016 Forum of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, and by the Network of Marine Protected Area Managers in the Mediterranean (MedPAN), reiterates the role played by MPAs.
These are seen as a tool towards achieving successful fisheries management and sustainable livelihoods in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
As highlighted in a video released at the opening of the workshop, MPAs represent an effective management tool that enables the protection of vulnerable ecosystems as well as nursery and spawning areas in order to increase the productivity of fisheries and improve the situation of fisheries and fishers in the region.
In light of the crucial role played by small-scale fisheries in these special areas, efforts are currently being made to support this sector and ensure its successful integration with MPAs in the region while promoting the participation of fishermen and fishworkers in related decision-making processes.
According to GFCM, this is in line with the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), based on the conclusions of the Building a future for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regional conference held in Algeria in March 2016.
This entails a specific work programme dedicated to small-scale fisheries which has been set up within the GFCM.
In addition, the recently adopted mid-term strategy (2017–2020) towards the sustainability of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries has devoted several actions towards achieving healthier marine ecosystems and more productive fisheries and to ensure better livelihoods for coastal communities through sustainable small-scale fisheries.
the GFCM states that one of the main challenges for its future work is to contribute to Aichi targets for Biodiversity and to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addressing in particular Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is to Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
