Enhancing Sustainable Management of Marine Fisheries in the Eastern Mediterranean - GCP/INT/041/ITA

Abstract

Eastern Mediterranean countries have active fisheries that provide important sources of food and employment. However, overfishing and environmental degradation pose a threat to the sustainability of these fisheries. In addition, fisheries data are scarce for some parts of the Eastern Mediterranean, while the capacity to formulate and implement the necessary management measures to promote sustainable fisheries still needs to be strengthened in some countries. The past general lack of partnerships and cooperation has resulted in significant differences between nations in the way that fisheries are managed. This, in turn, has led to considerable disparity in the subregion’s fisheries departments. Furthermore, national management plans were often weak or absent, and the level of engagement of Eastern Mediterranean countries in regional management processes was very limited. Against this background, the project aimed to support and improve the capacity of national fisheries departments in five target countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye), to increase their scientific and technical information base for fisheries management, and to develop coordinated and participative fisheries management plans in the Eastern Mediterranean subregion.