Overseas
The European Commission’s proposal on fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and Black Sea for 2026 represents a new test for sustainability and for balancing economic, scientific, and political interests.
Towards long-term governance
The Commission aims to continue along the path set by the MedFish4Ever and Sofia declarations, strengthened by the GFCM 2030 strategy, which seeks to transform fisheries governance in the region. The proposal comes in a delicate context: since 2025, the multiannual plan for western Mediterranean demersal stocks has entered its permanent phase, requiring compliance with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) ranges.
For the second consecutive year, Brussels intends to consolidate structural rules such as controlling fishing effort for trawlers and longliners, catch limits for deep-sea shrimps, and the compensation mechanism in favor of vessels adopting more selective practices.
Focus on Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Black Sea
In the Mediterranean, the proposal includes implementing measures already adopted in various GFCM plans, with a particular focus on black seabream and deep-water shrimps, to be updated after the November session. In the Adriatic, continuity with the Integrated Management Plans for demersal stocks and small pelagics sets the course toward sustainable exploitation levels by 2026. In the Black Sea, catch limits for sprat and turbot remain in place, with the latter managed under the regional plan.
A tight political calendar
The political timeline leaves no room for delay: the Council will discuss and reach a political agreement on December 11–12, with the regulation expected to enter into force on January 1, 2026. Yet, challenges remain open, from the real effectiveness of small pelagic measures in the Adriatic to the difficulty of balancing market needs with resource conservation.
Multilateral cooperation as a key
The Commission emphasizes cooperation with the GFCM, recognizing that the Mediterranean and Black Sea cannot be managed with purely national approaches. However, the challenge remains to reconcile diverging interests: on the one hand, maintaining fisheries competitiveness; on the other, protecting fragile stocks under anthropogenic and climate pressures.
The 2026 proposal emerges as a crucial step. It not only consolidates the permanent phase of multiannual plans but also tests the sector’s and institutions’ ability to turn sustainability principles into daily practice.
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