GFCM - Report of the twenty-seventh session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. Rome, Italy, 19-22 November 2002

Abstract

The twenty-seventh session of GFCM was attended by delegates from nineteen of the twenty-three members of the Commission. The Commission reviewed the intersessional activities, particularly the conclusions and advices of the fifth session of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and of the third session of the Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ). The Commission noted that the regional project proposal entitled “Mediterranean Fishery Statistics and Information Systems” (MEDFISIS) was to be initiated . The Commission also reviewed the status of action taken by Members towards ratifying the amendments to the GFCM Agreement relative to the autonomous budget. The Commission adopted Recommendation 2002/1 on the management of selected demersal and small pelagic species and further endorsed three Recommendations by ICCAT concerning the management of large pelagic species. The Commission established a Joint SAC/CAQ/ICCAT Ad Hoc Working Group on Sustainable Tuna Farming Practices in the Mediterran ean. While adopting the programme of work for SAC and CAQ, the Commission also established a reference framework for the mandate of SAC for the intersessional periods 2003-2004.