October 13, 1997
(en
español)
ROME, Italy --- WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature and Greenpeace today urged all States bordering the Mediterranean, meeting here at the 22nd Session of
the
FAO's* General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (GFCM), to take effective action for the future of Mediterranean fisheries and its fishing communities.
Although all coastal states in the Mediterranean and Japan are members of GFCM, created way back in 1949, the management body has been largely ineffective
until now. While coastal fisheries decline, fishing in international waters operate under a 'free for all' system virtually without control. Over 100,000
small and hundreds of large fishing vessels operate in the region. Local fishers, surviving with increasing difficulty, and industrial-scale vessels, often
flying convenience flags or even unregistered pirate vessels compete for declining resources.
"Time is running out for the fish stocks and fishers of this region", said Demetres Karavellas, WWF's Mediterranean Fisheries Coordinator. "We urge GFCM
member states to act now and negotiate an effective management regime which will reflect important international initiatives such as the UN Agreement on
Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries."
While governments have been reluctant to respond with the tough yet necessary management
decisions, the NGO community in the Mediterranean region is committed to contribute to the development of urgently needed solutions. Greenpeace and WWF,
supported by 45 NGOs and NGO networks active in the Mediterranean, have presented their common positions in a joint document on 'Principles and measures
for fisheries management in the Mediterranean Sea'.
"Despite the fact that some species, such as bluefin tuna, are on the verge of collapse, the anarchic development of some fleets continues unabated, with
possibly irreversible impact on target and non-target species" said Hélène Bours, Greenpeace's Mediterranean fisheries coordinator. "If the current path
of unsustainable fishing is to be reversed, Mediterranean governments meeting this week must adopt and implement a legally-binding management regime based
on the precautionary approach."
According to Greenpeace and WWF, the crucial issues which must be resolved this week in Rome include amending the agreement establishing the GFCM to
create the obligation to conserve marine species and ecosystems of the Mediterranean, and to manage fishing activities on a precautionary basis. Also
vital are the needs for increased compliance with more effective conservation and management measures as well as transparency and stakeholder participation
in the deliberations of this management body.
The current GFCM session (13-16 October) represents the last chance of success for a process initiated three years ago, aimed at the establishment of an
effective fisheries management regime in the Mediterranean. So far, this official process has been utterly disappointing with little concrete progress
achieved. Meanwhile, Mediterranean fisheries continue to deteriorate.
* Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Contact:
Demetres Karavellas at +301 331 4893 and Assumpta Gual at +34 7037 3036 or Someshwar Singh at +41 223649553. During the meeting,
Alessandra Poggiani at +39 6 84497424.
Note to the editors:
Fishing activities in the Mediterranean traditionally date back thousands of years. The region
accounts for an average annual catch of roughly 1.3 million tonnes, caught by over 100,000
vessels using a diverse range of some 45 different types of fishing gears. Fishing and fishing
related activities carry an immense social and economic value for the Mediterranean,
generating an annual revenue of 3.8 billion dollars. In certain coastal areas, fisheries are often
the sole source of income for local communities.
The General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
Established: 1949 - International agreement under aegis of FAO (Article XIV of FAO
Constitution)
Headquarters: Rome (Italy)
Membership: Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Romania,
Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey
Area of competence: Mediterranean, Black Sea and connecting waters
Main functions: To promote the development, conservation and management of living marine resources; to formulate and recommend conservation measures; to
encourage training cooperative projects.
The precautionary approach
A precautionary-based management system requires, among others , that measures be taken before symptoms of overexploitation appear. This concept obliges
managers and industry to carry out studies to demonstrate that fishing activities will be sustainable in the long term and will not cause serious damage to
the marine ecosystems.
The following documents are available upon request:
Principles and measures for fisheries management in the Mediterranean Sea
Summary of Greenpeace/WWF's comments on the amendments to the GFCM Agreement
and Rules of Procedure