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Fisheries: EU and neighbouring countries agree first-ever joint multiannual management plans in the Mediterranean
Yesterday, for the first time, the EU and neighbouring countries in the Mediterranean agreed on the establishment of five fully-fledged multiannual management plans (MAPs) based on the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). It is a key step in improving the environmental and economic sustainability of fishing in the Mediterranean. It is the outcome of the 45th annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). Thanks to the joint efforts of the Commission, Member States and more than 20 other coastal countries, the GFCM unanimously adopted a total of 21 ambitious measures, 19 tabled by the European Union, for the management and control of fisheries, aquaculture and the protection of sensitive habitats. The EU is also supporting the implementation of all the measures and the new GFCM 2030 Strategy with an annual grant of €8 million.
Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said: “The agreements reached by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean after a week of negotiations are a breakthrough for the Mediterranean region – its biodiversity and fishermen alike. They will help recover a sea basin that has been suffering from unsustainable practices for many years. I look forward to a good cooperation with our neighbours in the implementation of these decisions.”
