Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

Today, the Commission adopted its proposal for fishing opportunities for 2026 for the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The proposal promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and delivers on the political commitments made in the MedFish4Ever and Sofia Declarations.

This proposal will be complemented at a later stage, based on the results of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) annual session (4-9 November 2025) and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) advice for demersal stocks covered by the Western Mediterranean Multiannual Management Plan (MAP)- which is also expected in November.

On 1 January 2025, the Western Mediterranean MAP for demersal stocks entered into its permanent phase, following the end of a five-year transitional period. For the second year of this permanent phase, the Commission suggests maintaining all sustainable fishing practices established by the MAP. These practices consist of regulating fishing effort for trawlers and longliners, setting catch limits for deep-water shrimps and implementing a compensation mechanism for trawlers.

In the Mediterranean Sea, the proposal includes the measures agreed under the various GFCM management plans in recent years, with specific measures for blackspot seabream and deep-water shrimps to be updated after this year's annual session.

In the Adriatic Sea, the proposal includes the implementation of the GFCM MAPs for demersal and small pelagic stocks. It proposes to continue implementing limits on fishing effort for demersal stocks, with the goal of reaching sustainable fishing levels in 2026. The proposal also includes the implementation of the permanent phase of the small pelagics MAP that started in 2025. The GFCM is expected to adopt decisions on further implementation of both Adriatic MAPs in November.

In the Black Sea, the proposal includes catch limits and quotas for sprat and turbot. The Commission proposes to maintain the 2025 catch limit for sprat. For turbot, the levels of total allowable catches (TAC) and quotas are set in line with the provisions of the GFCM management plan.

Next steps

The Council is expected to discuss and reach a political agreement on the Commission's proposal on 11-12 December. The regulation should apply as of 1 January 2026.

Background

The Commission promotes an enhanced multilateral approach and cooperation to fisheries management in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The Malta MedFish4ever and Sofia Declarations established a new governance framework, which was strengthened by the adoption of the new 2030 GFCM Strategy.

The EU multiannual management plan (MAP) for demersal stocks in Western Mediterranean introduced a fishing effort regime for trawlers intended to achieve an overall reduction of up to 40% in five years transitional phase, until 2025. In December 2021, based on scientific advice, the Council introduced a holistic approach, combining effort measures for both trawlers and longliners and catch limits for deep-water shrimps. In addition, the 2022 fishing opportunities Regulation introduced for the first time a new compensation mechanism for trawlers. This mechanism is designed to encourage trawlers to use more selective gear and to fish in areas that avoid juveniles and spawners. The mechanism was further implemented in the subsequent annual fishing opportunities regulations.

From 2025 onwards, the MAP entered its permanent phase where MSY ranges apply. Therefore, the fishing opportunities for 2026 will be determined based on the new recommendations from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). These recommendations will be used to evaluate various management options and provide the most up-to-date scientific advice. The Commission published on 29 July 2024 the first report on the implementation of the MAP.

In 2017, the GFCM adopted a MAP for turbot in the Black Sea. This was the first set of management and control measures to be implemented at the regional level. The TAC of turbot under the MAP was reviewed at the GFCM annual session in 2024.

Since 2019, the GFCM has adopted MAPs for demersal species and for small pelagic species in the Adriatic Sea, for European eel, red coral and common dolphinfish in the Mediterranean Sea, for blackspot seabream in the Alboran Sea and for the management of deep-water shrimps in the Strait of Sicily, the Ionian and the Levant Sea.

More information

Proposal for a Council Regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas for 2026