REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL First report on the implementation of the Multiannual Plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the Western Mediterranean Sea
Date: 2024-07-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Mediterranean Sea, authorised catch, catch quota, deep-sea fishing, fishing area, fishing rights, fund (EU), marine ecosystem, monitoring report, regional cooperation, sea-bed

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.7.2024  COM(2024) 322 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL First report on the implementation of the Multiannual Plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the Western Mediterranean Sea {SWD(2024) 195 final}  
 
 
CONCLUSIONS 

Since  the  multiannual  management  plan  for  the  fisheries  exploiting  demersal  stocks  in  the 
Western  Mediterranean  Sea  (the  ‘plan’)  was  adopted1,  a  fully-fledged  EU  framework  has 
developed that involves control mechanisms at vessel and Member State level. During the five-
year transition  period2, fishing pressure  has  fallen and there have been positive effects  in  most 
fisheries.  In  2020,  only  5%  of  demersal  stocks  (1  in  20)  had  a  fishing  mortality  close  to  the 
maximum sustainable yield (Fmsy). Today,  28% of analytically assessed stocks  have a  fishing 
mortality  at  Fmsy  and  57%  are  recovering  rapidly  towards  Fmsy.  The  improvements  were 
achieved  by  actively  involving  stakeholders  in  the  regionalisation  process  to  increase  stock 
biomass,  which  is  the  fishers’  economic  base.  However,  certain  stocks  such  as  European  hake 
and one stock of Norway lobster remain severely overfished, in an overall context of many years 
of overfishing and environmental change. 

The  stakeholders  and  Member  States  consulted  praised  the  increased  communication 
between  stakeholders  and  with  scientists  since  the  plan  was  adopted.  However,  they  voiced 
differing opinions about the plan. Member States embraced how the plan has given rise to a new 
culture  for  Mediterranean  fisheries.  They  supported  the  coordinated  management  framework, 
leading to better harmonisation and a level playing field. However, the Mediterranean Advisory 
Council  (MedAC)  finds  it  premature  to  evaluate  the  plan  results.  The  fishing  industry  asks  to 
freeze  the  trawling  effort  regime  for  socio-economic  reasons  and  to  postpone  the  deadline  for 
achieving  the  Fmsy  objective  referred  to  in  Article 4(1)  of  the  plan  to  2030.  By  contrast,  non-
governmental organisations (NGOs) called for further implementation of the plan and action to 
improve gear selectivity, control and monitoring. 

The  Commission  considers  that  the  plan  has  proven  to  be  a  beneficial  framework  to 
implement the common fisheries policy3 and to achieve Fmsy by 1 January 2025 at the latest. 
Over a five-year transition period, the plan has achieved better fisheries control, for example by 
keeping  annual  authorised vessel lists and  by  adopting conservation measures such as efficient 
closure  areas.  The  plan  also  provides  for  a  range  of  flexibility  measures  to  help  the  sector 
transition  to  more  sustainable  practices,  such  as  effort  transfers  and  alternative  closure  areas. 
With  continued  implementation  after  2025,  the  plan  can  build  on  the  stakeholders’  successful 
adaptation to the EU framework and its rules creating a level playing field and transparency. 

The  plan  made  it  easier  to  agree  on  fishing  opportunities,  providing  a  clear  objective  by 
1 January 2025, both for the Commission to follow in its proposal and for the Council to follow 
in its decision making. The plan achieved a 40% reduction in trawling effort between 2020 and 
2024.  In  2022,  it  developed  and  expanded  the  decision  on  fishing  opportunities  to  include 
complementary  measures  in  the  form  of  a  ceiling  on  allocations  to  longliners  to  limit  fishing 

1  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1022  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  20 June  2019  establishing  a 
multiannual  plan  for  the  fisheries  exploiting  demersal  stocks  in  the  western  Mediterranean  Sea  and  amending 
Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 (OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1). 
2 As per article 4(1) of the plan  
3  Regulation  (EU)  No 1380/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11 December  2013  on  the 
Common Fisheries Policy (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22). 

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mortality on hake spawners and catch limits for two shrimp species to speed up their recovery. In 
addition,  a  unique  mechanism  has  been  brought  in  since  2022  to  give  additional  flexibility, 
rewarding  trawlers  with  additional  fishing  days  if  they  adopt  efficient  closure  areas  to  protect 
juvenile fish or use more selective gear. The plan also includes measures to reduce fishing during 
the spawning season with temporary closure areas. 

With this combination of measures, the plan has made it possible to keep all demersal fisheries 
open, albeit at reduced levels, while helping stocks recover. Most demersal stocks are now on the 
path to recovery. Some stocks, like red mullet in the Gulf of Lion, have fully rebuilt and are 
now  at  sustainable  levels  in  terms  of  both  fishing  mortality  and  biomass,  after  the  Council 
adopted lower fishing opportunities and Member States adopted large closure areas. 

The plan's positive results are that it has been possible to transition to healthy fish stocks by 
taking  complementary  action  and  incentives  to  speed  up  stock  recovery  and  the  sector’s 
transition  to  sustainability.  As  the  plan’s  transition  period  ends  and  the  sector  recovers  from 
the significant challenges of the COVID-19 and fuel crises, the management plan is bearing fruit. 
Most stocks are fished close to Fmsy or are rapidly recovering. In Member States that improved 
the  balance  between  capacity  and  fishing  opportunities,  fleet  segments  have  become  more 
profitable. 

However,  mixed  trends  in  demersal  stocks  and  the  profitability  of  these  fisheries  also  results 
from delays and limited ownership by Member States such as increase in catches of juvenile fish, 
structural  overcapacity,  increase  of  twin  trawler  use4  as  well  as  shortcomings  in  control  and 
enforcement  in  some  Member  States.  The  Commission  is  of  the  view  that  the  imbalance 
between fishing opportunities and fleet capacity has undermined the positive impacts of the 
plan  and  delayed  stocks’  recovery  at  a  severe  cost  to  fishers’  livelihood.  Nevertheless,  the 
Commission  acknowledges  the  ongoing  effort  of  the  fishing  sector  and  stakeholders  to  reduce 
pressure on  fish stocks  based on scientific  advice.  The Commission  has frequently  encouraged 
Member  States  to  collect  quality  data  and  to  ensure  scientists  from  the  three  Member  States 
concerned (Spain, France, and Italy) are involved in providing scientific input to the plan.  

The plan contains specific support from EU funds5 that had not been used in full to support the 
sector’s transition to more sustainable practices. The socio-economic development of the fleets 
under the plan has been limited since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing fuel 
prices.  But  the  value  of  landings  of  some  species  increased,  and  stakeholders  have  reported 
higher  profitability  since  2022.  However,  the  environmental  situation,  including  consequences 
from  climate  change,  depleted  hake  stocks  and  the  general  economic  situation  are  expected  to 
have had  a  higher negative impact  on the fleet’s profitability  than the  measures  in  the  plan.  In 

4 Whose catch per unit effort is higher than otter trawls 
5  Regulation  (EU)  508/2014  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15 May  2014  on  the  European 
Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund  and  repealing  Council  Regulations  (EC)  No 2328/2003,  (EC)  No 861/2006,  (EC) 
No 1198/2006  and  (EC)  No 791/2007  and  Regulation  (EU)  No 1255/2011  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council (OJ L 149, 20.5.2014, p. 1) and Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of  7 July  2021  establishing  the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and  amending  Regulation 
(EU) 2017/1004 (OJ L 247, 13.7.2021, p. 1). 

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this context, the plan’s objective to secure sustainable fishing, higher fish density and bigger 
fish  is  the  best  way  to  improve  fleet  performance  and  thus  strengthen  the  economics  of  the 
sector. 

Changes  to  the  Western  Mediterranean  environment  and  its  demersal  stocks  are  the  result  of 
long-term  trends  that  will  take  time  to  fully  reverse6.  For  many  years,  Mediterranean  fisheries 
have faced an imbalance between fishing opportunities and fishing capacity. This has resulted in 
certain  stocks,  such  as  hake  and  blue  and  red  shrimp,  being  highly  overexploited  and  at  low 
biomass.  Although  the  plan  has  reduced  fishing  pressure  and  provided  greater  predictability  to 
stakeholders since its beginning, the prevalence of other environmental factors such as warming 
waters could further increase in the coming years. For hake stocks, scientists are looking at the 
impact on species’ reproduction of ocean heatwaves, changes to nutrient supply and upper ocean 
stratification with higher surface temperatures and salinity levels. 

The Commission considers that the difficult, yet sustainable, decisions taken by the Council for 
the Western Mediterranean stocks were made possible because the plan was in place. The plan 
has ensured that today all fisheries are either managed in line with Fmsy, are rapidly recovering 
to reach Fmsy or that measures from 2025 onwards can be put in place to bring them rapidly to 
Fmsy.  The  Commission  therefore  concludes  that  the  plan  provides  a  stable  long-term 
instrument to implement the common fisheries policy in the Western Mediterranean Sea. It 
provides  greater  certainty,  transparency  and  predictability  and  it  creates  the  basis  for  the  long-
term profitability of the fishing industry and ancillary sectors. 

6  See  FAO.  2023. The  State  of Mediterranean  and  Black  Sea  Fisheries  2023 – Special  edition.  General  Fisheries 
Commission  for  the  Mediterranean.  Rome  and  “The  2023  Mediterranean  Quality  Status  Report  and  a  Renewed 
Ecosystem Approach Policy in the Mediterranean” 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

In 2019, the European Parliament and the Council adopted the multiannual management plan for 
fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the Western Mediterranean Sea7. Article 17(2) of the plan 
requires  the  Commission  to  report  every  three  years  to  the  co-legislators  on  the  results  and 
impact  of  the  plan  on  the  stocks  and  the  fisheries  exploiting  them.  This  report  gives  a  first 
overview of the progress achieved under the plan. 

The  plan’s  objectives  are  to:  contribute  to  achieving  the  objectives  of  the  common  fisheries 
policy  (CFP)8;  restore  and  maintain  fish  stocks  above  sustainable  levels;  contribute  to 
eliminating discards and implementing the landing obligation; an ecosystem-based approach and 
minimise fishing impact on vulnerable habitats and protected species.  

The  plan  covers  the  targeted  species  of  hake,  red  mullet,  Norway  lobster,  deep-water  rose 
shrimp, blue and red shrimp, giant red shrimp, and by-catch species of demersal mixed fisheries. 
Target species account for about 20% of all catches in the Western Mediterranean Sea.9 

The  plan  has  clear  rules  for  setting  fishing  opportunities  to  achieve  and  maintain  fishing 
mortality at maximum sustainable yield (Fmsy) for stocks with a scientific assessment. The plan 
was first applied for the 2020 fishing season, starting a five-year transition period linked to the 
specific  socio-economic  features  of  the  fleets.  During  this  transition  period,  target  fishing 
mortality based on best available scientific advice provided a path to achieve Fmsy by 1 January 
2025 at the latest. As of 2025, the fishing opportunities must be set by the Council on the basis of 
a  science-based  range  of  fishing  mortality  values,  in  line  with  Fmsy.  The  plan  also  contains 
specific  rules  to  empower  the  Commission  to  adopt  delegated  acts,  notably  on  the  landing 
obligation. 

Since  2020,  the  Council  fishing  opportunities  regulations  have  set  annual  effort  limits  for 
trawlers. Since 2022, the regulations also include an effort ceiling for longliners, maximum catch 
limits for two shrimp species and a mechanism rewarding sustainable practices. 

2. 

DEVELOPMENTS IN RELEVANT AREAS 

This  first  report  is  based  on  a  targeted  stakeholder  consultation10,  on  the  latest  Scientific, 
Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) reports for the relevant stocks in the 
Western Mediterranean Sea11, STECF analyses on the landing obligation12, and information held 

7  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1022  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  20 June  2019  establishing  a 
multiannual  plan  for  the  fisheries  exploiting  demersal  stocks  in  the  western  Mediterranean  Sea  and  amending 
Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 (OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1). 
8  Regulation  (EU)  No 1380/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11 December  2013  on  the 
Common Fisheries Policy (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22). 
9 Stock assessments in the Western Mediterranean Sea (STECF 23-09). 
10  The  stakeholders  consulted  were  the  Western  Mediterranean  Sea  Member  States  group  (PescaMed),  the 
Mediterranean Advisory Council and its members. The questionnaire and replies can be found in Commission staff 
working document SWD(2024)195 accompanying this report. 
11 Available under STECF EWG 23-09 and STECF EWG 23-11, STECF - European Commission (europa.eu). 
12 Evaluation of Joint Recommendations on the landing obligation and on Technical Measures Regulation (STECF-
23-04 & 23-06). 

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by  the  Commission.  The  report  focuses  on  developments  during  four  full  years  of 
implementation  in  the  following  areas:  fishing  levels  and  complementary  measures;  socio-
economic  aspects;  landing  obligation  and  minimising  unwanted  catches;  minimising  fishing 
impact on vulnerable habitats and protected species and lastly; regional cooperation. 

2.1.  FISHING LEVELS AND COMPLEMENTARY MEASURES FOR MIXED FISHERIES 
- 

STATE OF THE STOCKS 

For  the  20  years  before  the  plan  entered  into  force,  fish  biomass  decreased  while  both  fishing 
pressure  and  fleet  capacity  remained  at  high  levels13.  Since  2019,  STECF  has  developed 
assessments  for  20  demersal  stocks  in  the  Western  Mediterranean  Sea,  showing  a  decrease  in 
fishing  mortality  and  significant  progress  for  over  half  of  the  stocks.  This  improvement  was 
made  possible  thanks  to  the  efforts  made  by  Member  States  and  stakeholders  to  improve  data 
collection and manage the fish stocks well. 

The latest STECF assessment shows that four stocks out of 20 are being fished close or at Fmsy 
while  eight  data-rich  stocks  show  signs  of  a  rapid  recovery  and  two  stocks  (hake  and  Norway 
lobster  in  Spanish  waters)  remain  severely  overfished14.  In  addition,  it  issued  precautionary 
advice for only five stocks and one is ICES-category 5 advice for which data are only available 
on landings or catch data have only a short time-series15. Of the 10 overfished stocks, seven are 
late  in  the  transition  to  Fmsy  by  2025  and  three  are  transitioning  rapidly  to  Fmsy.  For  the  six 
stocks not assessed analytically, there is no reference point to evaluate stock status against Fmsy. 

The plan has seen positive effects16 for several fisheries resulting in healthier stocks. However, in 
terms  of  stock  biomass,  STECF  estimates  it  has  not  yet  seen  an  equivalent  increase  as  fishing 
mortality  decreases.  STECF  considers  that  biomass  levels  of  hake,  a  long-lived  species,  will 
remain  below  the  precautionary  level  in  the  medium-term  even  with  no  fishing  at  all.  STECF 
assesses that catches of hake in Spanish and French waters have increased, thus remaining at low 
level  of  biomass,  likely  since  the  plan  adoption  below  a  limit  reference  point  below  which 
reproductive  capacity  can  fall  (Blim).  STECF  considers  that  the  increased  use  of  twin-trawlers 
and the increased level of catches of juvenile hake are hampering the chances of stock recovery. 
Hake biomass being very low, it could be a choke species for the effort regime. For the two hake 
stocks,  both  below  Blim,  the  2023  STECF  analyses  advised  very  high  reductions  in  fishing 
mortality to rebuild hake stocks to safe levels. 

- 

RULES GOVERNING THE SETTING OF FISHING OPPORTUNITIES 

Since 2019, the plan has been in its transition period. Fishing opportunities are set on the basis of 
Article 7  of  the  plan  for  a  maximum  allowable  fishing  effort  for  trawlers,  supplemented  with 
technical or conservation measures to achieve Fmsy by 1 January 2025, at the latest. During the 

13 STECF 75th Plenary report (STECF-PLEN-24-01). 
14 Stock assessments in the Western Mediterranean Sea (STECF-23-09). 
15 ICES, 2022, Advice on fishing opportunities, Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2022. ICES Advice 2022, 
Section 1.1.1. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.19928060. 
16  Detailed  STECF  analyses  on  the  state  of  the  stocks  are  provided  in  Commission  staff  working  document 
SWD(2024)195 accompanying this report. 

5 

 
 
 
transition  period,  the  setting  of  fishing  opportunities  for  stocks  with  an  analytical  assessment 
does not use a range of values around Fmsy. The Commission’s objective was to propose fishing 
opportunities  based  on  best  available  scientific  advice  ensuring  that  fishing  mortality  values 
reach  Fmsy  by  1  January  2025,  at  the  latest.  As  the  plan  implementation  progressed,  the 
Commission has encouraged data collection and data sharing between the MedAC and STECF to 
further develop socio-economic models and management scenarios. 

As an analytical assessment is only possible for data-rich stocks, the precautionary basis had to 
be followed for data-poor stocks. Thanks to progress in data collection and scientific modelling, 
STECF was able to calculate conservation reference points for some stocks and further develop 
socio-economic assessments, thus better charting the transition path to achieve Fmsy. However, 
in  2022,  sufficient  data  was  not  made  available  by  all  Member  States  due  to  organisational 
delays of at-sea surveys, resulting in an increase to six data-poor stocks. 

The  stakeholders  consulted  praised  the  improved  communication  since  2019  but  expressed 
differing  opinions  on  fishing  opportunities  and  the  plan’s  ambitions.  National  administrations 
appreciated  the  facilitated  process  to  set  fishing  opportunities,  underlining  the  importance  of 
analytical  stock  assessments  and  non-fishery-related  factors.  MedAC  highlighted  the  efforts 
made by the fleets as the plan started during the COVID-19 and fuel crises, which exacerbated 
the  socio-economic  difficulties  for  fleets.  MedAC  appreciated  the  chance  to  observe  certain 
STECF  meetings  and  to  provide  information  and  discuss  stock  assessments  and  management 
scenarios  with  the  scientists,  but  repeatedly  asked  to  freeze  the  measures  and  postpone  the 
deadline for achieving the Fmsy objective referred to in Article 4(1) of the plan to 2030 out of 
socio-economic  reasons.  By  contrast,  NGOs  asked  for  fishing  opportunities  to  be  linked  to 
improvements in gear selectivity and better control (e.g. by having VMS on all vessels). 

- 

FISHING EFFORT REGIMES, CATCH LIMITS & COMPENSATION MECHANISM 

The plan was rolled out over four rounds of fishing opportunities (2020-2023). The fishing effort 
regime  for  trawlers  was  at  the  core  of  the  plan’s  success.  Following  scientific  advice  and  the 
legal obligation in Article 7(3), the number of trawling days has been gradually reduced by 40% 
of  the  2015-2017  baseline  number.  This  led  to  a  progressive  adaptation  of  the  fleets  and  a 
familiarisation of the sector with EU-standard monitoring. 

In  2022,  the  Commission  proposed  complementary  measures  as  a  package  approach,  based  on 
the best available scientific advice. The approach combined measures for trawlers, for longliners 
impacting  hake  spawner  mortality  and  catch  limits  to  kick  off  the  recovery  of  blue  and  red 
shrimp as well as giant red shrimp stocks. In 2022, the Fishing Opportunities Regulation17 set a 
compensation mechanism rewarding with additional trawling days the vessels that meet criteria 
(efficient  closure  areas  during  spawning  periods  or  adopting  more  selective  gear  to  reduce 
catches of juveniles)18. STECF evaluated the criteria and how the compensation mechanism has 

17  Council Regulation (EU) 2022/110 of  27 January  2022  fixing  for  2022  the  fishing  opportunities  for  certain  fish 
stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas (OJ L 21, 31/01/2022, p. 165). 
18 Tables detailing the use of the compensation mechanism since 2022  can be found in Commission staff working 
document SWD(2024)195 accompanying this report. 

6 

 
 
 
been  implemented19.  In  2022,  the  compensation  mechanism  was  implemented  for  most  of  the 
fleet in one Member State and for vessels in some harbours in another Member State. In 2023, 
however,  although  all  three  Member  States  requested  additional  days  under  the  compensation 
mechanism, some Member States did not use the additional days. 

Since  2022,  the  package  approach  integrated  in  the  fishing  opportunities  has  achieved  an 
efficient  reduction  in  fishing  mortality  while  minimising  socio-economic  impacts.  The 
Commission  considers  the  plan  made  it  easier  to  agree  on  and  integrate  the  three  CFP  pillars 
(environmental, social and economic) in decisions on fishing opportunities. The plan provides a 
clear  management  direction  to  guide  both  the  Commission’s  proposals  and  the  Council’s 
decision-making  leading  to  annual  regulations  governing  fishing  opportunities.  Since  2019, 
decisions have been consistent and in line with the CFP objectives. They are producing results, 
as up to 55% of the stocks are expected to recover by 2025 and hake stocks are on the path to 
recovery. 

- 

MONITORING DEVELOPMENT & OBLIGATION OF MEMBER STATES 

The  first  years  of  the  plan  have  seen  the  adoption  in  Spain,  Italy  and  France  of  a  harmonised 
monitoring  system  with  monthly  notifications  and  a  range  of  flexible  management  measures 
(Articles 9 and 10). The Commission services have developed a technical network via monthly 
coordination  meetings  between  the  three  national  administrations.  This  built  a  common 
understanding  of  the  measures  contained  in  the  plan,  the  scientific  results  and  helped  foster  a 
new  management  culture.  Overall,  the  three  Member  States  have  reported  thoroughly  on 
most  aspects  of  implementing  the  plan.  Over  the  first  few  years,  they  achieved  good 
compliance and enforcement of the main measures, such as annual updates of authorised lists of 
vessels,  monthly  notifications  and  allocations  of  fishing  days  and  closure  areas.  The  plan  also 
covers  the  fishing  day  duration  for  trawlers  and  fisheries  closures.  There  were  three  fisheries 
closures by the Commission in 2022, three by a Member State in 2021 and two in 2023 by the 
same  Member  State.  Finally,  thorough  monitoring  of  trawling  activities  ensured  that  the 
allocated fishing opportunities were not exceeded since the plan entered into force. 

However,  the  Commission  identified  several  shortcomings  at  national  level.  It  discussed  with 
Member State authorities how to improve national monitoring and enforcement processes, such 
as revoking the national derogation allowing freezer trawlers to exceed the trawling time limits 
set under the plan20. On fleet capacity (Articles 9(7) and 9(9) of the plan), the Commission has 
regularly asked Member States to address the imbalance between their fleet capacity and fishing 
opportunities21.  The  Commission  clearly  communicated  the  successful  examples  of  increased 

19 STECF 72nd Plenary report (STECF-PLEN-23-01). 
20  More  details  on  the  monitoring  and  enforcement  processes  under  the  plan  are  provided  in  Commission  staff 
working document SWD(2024)195 accompanying this report. 
21  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council,  Towards  more  sustainable 
fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2023, SWD/2022/157 final. 
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Sustainable fishing in the EU: 
state of play and orientations for 2024, SWD/2023/172 final. 

7 

 
 
 
annual  activity  and  profitability  by  vessel  in  the  Member  States  with  fleets  in  balance  and 
targeting sustainably managed stocks. 

The stakeholders welcomed the increased coordination between administrations and the regular 
meetings with the MedAC working group on the plan. This fostered trust and smooth exchanges 
between the Commission and all stakeholders. The Commission considers that this enabled the 
development of the compensation mechanism and other tailored measures to achieve the plan’s 
objectives, taking account of the specific features of the local fisheries. Regarding fleet capacity, 
MedAC  expressed  concerns  on  reducing  the  number  of  trawlers  given  the  importance  of  this 
sector, which supplies over 80% of Mediterranean fish auctions. 

- 

FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENTS TO SUPPORT THE SECTOR’S TRANSITION 

Numerous  flexible  arrangements  have  been  made  to  facilitate  the  sector’s  transition  to  more 
sustainable practices and secure active implementation of management measures. They include, 
first,  transfers  of  trawling  fishing  days  between  fleet  segments  to  avoid  both  overshooting  and 
underusing  fishing  effort  by  trawlers,  based  on  science-based  conversion  factors.  This  first 
flexible  measure  was  used  every  year  since  2020  by  one  Member  State  and  occasionally  by  a 
second  Member  State.  Second,  all  three  Member  States  used  the  derogation  of  trawling  day 
duration  up  to  18  hours  for  some  fleet  segments  and  flexibility  on  the  fishing  trip  duration  in 
some harbours for trawlers targeting shrimps in longer and deeper at-sea campaigns. Third, two 
Member States used a derogation for alternative closure areas for specific geographic constraints 
to protect juvenile hake in coastal areas.  

In  addition,  the  adoption  of  a  compensation  mechanism  with  up  to  12  criteria  in  2024  to 
incentivise more sustainable practices was used by one Member State and partly used by another 
in 2022 and requested by all three Member States in 2023 and 2024. Lastly, in 2023 and 2024, 
all  three  Member  States  requested  the  option  of  inter-annual  flexibility  for  stocks  under  catch 
limits under Article 4(2) of EU Regulation 847/96 and Article 15(9) of the CFP Regulation and 
the option to swap catch limits between Member States that are not used by any Member State, 
despite one Member State underusing its allocations. 

- 

CLOSURE AREAS 

Article 11 of the plan requires Member States to adopt closure areas to secure the protection of 
juvenile  fish  and  spawners.  Focusing  in  2020  on  the  protection  of  hake  juveniles,  the  plan 
required  additional  closures  by  17 July  2021  to  protect  juveniles  and  spawners  of  all  demersal 
stocks, based on the best available scientific advice. As an alternative to the three-month closure 
for  trawlers  within  six  nautical  miles  of  the  coasts,  two  Member  States  adapted  their  closure 
areas as they are in areas deeper than 100 m or where the continental shelf size is limited.  

Overall, STECF22 assessed that the adopted closure areas in two Member States did not achieve 
the objectives set in the plan: the closure areas adopted by several Member States were not large 
enough to achieve the target of 20% decrease in juveniles and spawners captures. 

22 Available under STECF reports EWG 22-01 and EWG 23-01, STECF - European Commission (europa.eu). 

8 

 
 
 
- 

RECREATIONAL FISHERIES & MANAGEMENT OF BY-CATCH STOCKS 

To factor in all sources of fishing mortality on the species regulated under the plan, the Council 
can  adopt  science-based  limits  for  recreational  fishers  and  Member  States  must  take  the 
necessary  and  proportionate  measures  for  improved  data  collection  (Article 8  of  the  plan). 
STECF23  evaluated  the  contribution  of  recreational  fisheries  to  the  fishing  mortality  of  the 
demersal stocks covered by the plan. Based on the information available, STECF concluded that 
recreational  fisheries are likely to have no significant impact. Due to limited data available for 
STECF  to  conduct  an  assessment,  Article 12  on  the  management  of  by-catch  stocks  was  not 
implemented. 

2.2. 

SUPPORT FROM EU FUNDS & SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 

The  plan  contains  specific  articles  (Articles  19  and  20)  enabling  EU  funds  to  be  used  for 
temporary and permanent cessations to address the imbalance in fleet capacity. The capacity of 
fleet  segments,  especially  in  one  Member  State,  are  still  not  in  balance,  as  assessed  against 
biological and economic indicators (24). The two other Member States have used both temporary 
and permanent cessations for their  trawlers to reduce their capacity and balance  fleet segments 
with  available  fishing  opportunities.  Although  it  has  not  tackled  the  imbalance  of  its 
Mediterranean fleet segments with their fishing opportunities, the third Member State has used 
temporary cessations. Sector representatives also expressed an interest in permanent cessations.  

In  the  context  of  the  fuel  crisis  and  the  energy  transition,  the  Commission  regrets  that  the 
Member  States  did  not  draw  fully  on  the  EMFF  funding  available  under  national 
operational programmes. In particular, one Member State did not use over 15% (EUR 210 
million)  of  its  initial  allocation.  As  both  EMFF  and  EMFAF  support  the  plan  objectives,  the 
Commission considers that Member States should have used more EMFF funding under national 
operational  programmes  and  more  EMFAF  funding  under  national  programmes  to  support  the 
development  of  more  selective  fishing,  transition  to  less  fuel-intensive  practices,  improve 
fisheries control and reduce the socio-economic impact on fishers of the conservation measures 
adopted.  These  measures  would  be  in  line  with  the  objectives  of  the  Ocean  package  the 
Commission adopted in February 2023. 

Positive economic results have been achieved by fleet segments that fish stocks sustainably. 
The Commission has repeatedly encouraged Member States to adjust their fleet capacity to the 
fishing  opportunities.  In  the  challenging  context  of  the  climate,  biodiversity  and  energy  crises, 
the  plan  provides  tools  for  more  sustainable  fishing  that  can  result  in  higher  fish  density  and 
bigger fish, more efficient fishing fleet performance and higher profits. 

In  202125,  the  Mediterranean  fleet  accounted  for  57%  of  all  EU  vessels  and  47%  of  EU 
employment  in  the  fisheries  sector.  It  contributed  9%  of  EU  landings  in  weight  and  24%  in 

23 Available under STECF reports EWG 21-01 and EWG 22-01, STECF - European Commission (europa.eu). 
24Available under STECF report EWG 23-13 on Balance & Capacity. 
25  Relevant  economic  data  is  only  available  until  2021.  See  STECF  2023,  Annual  Economic  Report  on  the  EU 
Fishing Fleet (STECF 23-07). 

9 

 
 
 
value.  Around  31%  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea’s  total  landing  value  comes  from  the  Western 
Mediterranean subregion (EUR 1.35 billion out of a total of EUR 4.76 billion when the plan was 
adopted)  and  around  19%  of  the  Mediterranean  fishing  fleet  operates  in  the  Western 
Mediterranean  Sea26.  For  Italy,  about  40%  of  the  landings  originated  from  the  Western 
Mediterranean Sea. For Spain and France, the percentage of landings in weight originating from 
Mediterranean waters was less than 10%.  

In all three Member States, the social impact of fisheries is significant in Western Mediterranean 
harbours,  with  small-scale  coastal  fisheries  accounting  for  79%  of  the  days  at  sea  and  55%  of 
employment.  However,  the  large-scale  fleet  has  been  the  main  operator  in  the  region  and  was 
responsible for catching 84% of landed weight and 72% of the landing value. Landed weight has 
been decreasing for years, while landed value has increased. In 2021, Spain caught about 19% of 
landings in the Mediterranean, while Italy caught above 40% and France less than 5%. 

In terms of socio-economic performance, even though implementation of the plan started at the 
time of the COVID-19 pandemic and higher fuel prices, socio-economic indicators show that 
the  situation  improved:  improvements  in  the  fleet  segments  closer  to  balance  and  associated 
with  stocks  fished  closer  to  Fmsy.  In  2021,  overall,  the  Western  Mediterranean  fleet 
continued to generate  profits even  though  the  consequences  of the  pandemic  and higher fuel 
prices slowed down the improvement in economic indicators since 2015.  

In  2021,  revenue  generated  (income  from  landings  and  other  incomes)  was  estimated  at  over 
EUR 1.5 billion and EUR 900 million of gross value added (GVA) for the whole Mediterranean 
Sea, with about 44% stemming from Western Mediterranean harbours: Italy (EUR 721 million of 
revenue, of which about 40% for Western Mediterranean harbours), Spain (EUR 288 million of 
revenue)  and  France  (EUR 82  million  of  revenue).  This  corresponds  to  a  4%  increase  in 
revenue  from  the  previous  year  while  the  net  profit  margin  rose  by  16%  in  2020-2021. 
Spain  and  Italy  saw  their  revenues  increase  (Italy  by  9%  and  Spain  by  3%)  while  revenue  for 
France remained close to 2020 levels.  

In  terms  of  energy  dependency,  energy  consumption  in  2021  (442  million  litres)  fell  by  5% 
compared to 2020, due to a 16% decrease in the Spanish fleet and a 15% decrease in the French 
fleet. In 2021, Italy had the highest energy consumption in the region (56%), followed by Spain 
(17%)  while  France  consumed  less  than  5%  of  all  energy  in  the  Mediterranean  fleet.  Effort  in 
days at sea across the region also followed a general downward trend, stabilising between 2013 
and 2018 and then falling under the plan between 2019 and 2021. 

Employment, measured in terms of full-time equivalents (FTE) varies between the three Member 
States.  Latest  figures  show  Italy  with  39%  of  total  employment  in  the  EU  Mediterranean 
fisheries sector, 40% of which in the Western Mediterranean Sea, while Spain has 14% of total 
employment  in  the  EU  Mediterranean  fisheries  sector,  and  France  has  4%.  Employment  has 
fallen over the last 10 years, with the highest relative decrease in the Western Mediterranean Sea 
seen  in  France  (8%).  In  addition,  the  prolonged  repercussions  of  the  pandemic  continued  to 

26 The state of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. 

10 

 
 
 
affect  economic  performance  in  2021  due  to  restrictions  and  social  distancing  for  part  of  the 
year.  Average  wages  per  FTE  in  the  large-scale  fleet  fell  by  5%  between  2020  and  2021 
(estimated at around EUR 18 889 per year) while average wages in the small-scale fleet fell by 
14% to EUR 9 059. 

Overall, the trends for large-scale and small-scale fleets differ. The small-scale fleet, despite the 
decrease in average wages, continued to improve on all economic performance indicators, 
due to an increase in other income sources, mainly in Italy, linked to related activities such as 
fishing  tourism and  higher landings  prices. The small-scale fleet  sold  products  at  higher prices 
than the large-scale fleet thanks to shorter supply chains and  direct sales  to end consumers 
and to restaurants.  By  contrast, the large-scale  fleet  recorded a  fall  in  GVA and gross profit, 
mainly due to a 4% reduction in the value of landings and a 20% increase in energy costs. 

The stakeholders consulted assert a negative correlation between implementation of the plan and 
socio-economic  trends,  notably  due  to  the  slow  recovery  of  hake  and  to  fuel  prices.  Some 
representatives  of  the  sector  claim  that  the  plan’s  major  failure  is  its  lack  of  socio-economic 
considerations  and  rigidity  in  setting  fishing  opportunities.  The  sector  asks  for  a  more  gradual 
approach to achieve Fmsy in order to adapt to the other challenges faced by the sector (e.g. the 
pandemic and fuel prices). By contrast, NGOs assert that implementing the plan’s measures in a 
more gradual way would neither benefit the marine resources nor the fishers and would further 
exacerbate the socio-economic situation. Member States stress the need to adapt the CFP to the 
specific needs in the Mediterranean and to factor in other human activities and external factors 
that have an impact on marine ecosystems. 

The Commission is of the view that the plan has been beneficial and provided added support to 
the sector during the pandemic and the fuel crisis. The Commission regrets that Member States 
did  not  fully  use  the  EU  funds  available  to  meet  the  plan’s  objectives  and  to  stimulate  the 
sector’s transition to a more sustainable and less fuel-dependent economy, which constitute the 
core objectives of the Ocean package the Commission adopted in February 2023. Mixed trends 
in  fish  stocks  and  fisheries  are  partly  due  to  causes  that  pre-dated  adoption  of  the  plan. 
Overcapacity  and  persistent  unsustainable  fishing  have  created  real  socio-economic  harm  at 
severe  costs  to  coastal  communities,  including  fishers  that  depend  on  fisheries  for  their 
livelihoods.  Only  sustainable  fishing  practices  and  appropriate  environmental  protection  can 
secure the long-term health of fishing communities. 

2.3.  EXERCISE OF THE DELEGATION 

A  further  aspect  of  the  process  to  strengthen  regionalisation  is  the  plan's  specific  provisions 
(Articles 14, 15, 16 and 18) enabling Member States to submit joint recommendations27 on issues 

27 In the context of the regionalisation process, Member States have set up high-level regional groups composed of 
the  Member  States’  fisheries  directors  with  Commission  officials  associated,  one  of  them  specific  to  the  Western 
Mediterranean Sea (‘PescaMed’). PescaMed’s primary goal is to improve coordination and cooperation among its 
Member  States  on  fisheries  management  by  adopting  joint  recommendations,  compiling  scientific  support  studies 
and fostering develop cooperation with other key stakeholders in the region. 

11 

 
 
 
for  which  the  Commission  is  empowered  to  adopt  delegated  acts.  For  example,  this  includes 
delegated acts on the necessary conservation measures, technical measures and on discard plans. 

- 

SPECIFIC CONSERVATION MEASURES 

Similar to other EU multiannual management plans, Article 13 aiming at protecting juveniles of 
marine organisms was not used during the reporting period since its substance was superseded by 
the  more  specific  Technical  Measures  Regulation  (EU)  2019/124128.  However,  despite 
statements by Member States in the December 2020 Agrifish Council, frequent encouragement 
by the Commission and EU funds available for support, Member States did not submit joint 
recommendations to the Commission to implement additional closure areas, increase gear 
selectivity or set higher minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS). 

- 

LANDING OBLIGATION & DISCARDS 

A  key  CFP  objective  is  to  implement  the  landing  obligation  and  gradually  eliminate  discards. 
Under the plan, the landing obligation applies to species managed by catch limits, such as giant 
red shrimp  and to  species  with  a MCRS,  such as  hake.  Since  2019, the  Commission  increased 
coordination  with  scientists  and  stakeholders  to  improve  data  collection  and  to  support  the 
development by STECF of a standardised approach to exemption requests29. The empowerment 
under  Article 14  of  the  plan  has  been  used  four  times  and  the  Commission  adopted  four 
delegated acts30 on high survivability and de minimis exemptions to the landing obligation. 

At EU level, STECF31 estimates that discard practices are unlikely to have changed much. There 
is  still  insufficient  quantitative  data  since  the  entry  into  force  of  the  landing  obligation  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea  on  1 January  2019.  For  the  Western  Mediterranean  Sea,  STECF  indicated 
that approaches were proactively developed to improve implementation of the landing obligation 
via  the  development  of  research  projects  involving  local  stakeholders.  However,  STECF  also 
stated there were indications that the fishing industry’s operating practices at sea had not 
changed,  which  implied  that  discards  are  unlikely  to  have  fallen.  For  hake,  STECF's  latest 
stock  assessment  estimated  that  discards  at  sea  may  have  increased,  but  could  be  considered 
negligeable for red mullet. 

The  stakeholders  consulted  share  similar  views  on  the  ongoing  practice  of  discarding.  All 
respondents  agreed  in  their  assessment  that  the  actual  levels  of  discards  have  remained  stable 
since  the  landing  obligation  entered  into  force  in  the  region  in  2019.  Nevertheless,  the  fishing 
industry has made efforts to understand and implement the landing obligation and to engage with 

28 Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of 
fisheries  resources  and  the  protection  of  marine  ecosystems  through  technical  measures,  amending  Council 
Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulations (EU) No 1380/2013, (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 
2018/973,  (EU)  2019/472  and  (EU)  2019/1022  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council,  and  repealing 
Council Regulations (EC) No 894/97, (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2549/2000, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 812/2004 
and (EC) No 2187/2005 (OJ L 198, 25/07/2019, p. 105). 
29 STECF 66th Plenary report (STECF-PLEN-21-01). 
30 Commission Delegated Regulations (EU) 2020/4, 2021/2066, 2022/2288, 2023/2462. 
31 Evaluation of Joint Recommendations on the landing obligation and on Technical Measures Regulation (STECF-
23-04 & 23-06). 

12 

 
 
 
research  institutes  on  the  topic.  All  stakeholders  confirm  that  the  landing  obligation  has 
stimulated  scientific  research  into  more  selective  gears  and  survivability  studies.  However,  for 
mixed demersal fisheries, they believe that there will be a limit to the degree of selectivity. The 
Commission considers that the continuing problem of discards is caused primarily by a lack of 
control  and  enforcement  by  Member  State  authorities  and  must  be  tackled  under  the  EU’s 
fisheries control system.  

2.4.  ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH 

The  ecosystem-based  approach  must  be  implemented  in  fisheries  management  to  reduce  the 
negative impacts of fishing on the marine ecosystem (Article 2(3) of the CFP Regulation). The 
plan  also  states  in  Article 3(3)  that  it  must  be  coherent,  in  particular  to  achieve  good 
environmental  status  under  the  marine  strategy  framework  directive  (MSFD).32  For  decades, 
marine ecosystems in the Western Mediterranean Sea have faced multiple sources of stress, from 
overfishing  to  reduced  nutrient  availability33  and  changes  in  the  food  web  as  well  as  the 
consequences  of  climate  change  and  pollution34.  However,  a  recent  study35  has  assessed  the 
region to be in ‘good’ status and shown that protected areas achieved ‘good’ or ‘high’ status with 
the no-trawl area assessed as effective at ‘high’ environmental status. The study also concluded 
that  marine  protected  areas  and  trawling  bans  can  locally  contribute  to  the  attainment  of  good 
environmental status and to the fulfilment of the MSFD objectives. 

STECF36 estimated that in 2023, red mullet in the Gulf of Lion (geographical subarea, GSA 7) 
and red mullet in the Ligurian and Northern Tyrrhenian Seas (GSA 9) were the only target stocks 
under the plan that met two of the three assessed criteria of descriptor 3 in the MSFD relating to 
fishing opportunities. Deep-water rose shrimp in GSA 1 and GSAs 5-6-7 and Norway lobster in 
GSA 9 only met the fishing mortality criterion. 

The  stakeholders  consulted  underlined  the  importance  of  an  ecosystem-based  management  of 
fisheries  and  the  contribution  of  fisheries  to  achieving  good  environmental  status,  noting  that 
non-fishery-related factors play an important role too. Member States consider that the situation 
of the fish stocks would probably have been worse without the plan. By contrast, MedAC is of 

32 Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework 
for the community action in the field of marine environmental policy (OJ 164, 25.6.2008, p. 19). 
33  Among  others,  Feuilloley  G,  Fromentin  JM,  Stemmann  L,  Demarcq  H,  Estournel  C,  Saraux  C,  Concomitant 
changes  in  the  environment  and  small  pelagic  fish  community  of  the  Gulf  of  Lions,  Progress  in  Oceanography, 
Volume 186, 2020. 
34  
See  FAO.  2023.  The  State  of  Mediterranean  and  Black  Sea  Fisheries  2023  –  Special  edition.  General 
Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean.  Rome,  and  The  2023  Mediterranean  Quality  Status  Report  and  a 
Renewed Ecosystem Approach Policy in the Mediterranean 
35 Fraschetti,  S., Fabbrizzi, E.,  Tamburello, L., Uyarra, M. C., Micheli, F., Sala, E., Pipitone, C., Badalamenti, F., 
Bevilacqua,  S.,  Boada,  J.,  Cebrian,  E.,  Ceccherelli,  G.,  Chiantore,  M.,  D’Anna,  G.,  Di  Franco,  A.,  Farina,  S., 
Giakoumi, S., Gissi, E., Guala, I., Guidetti, P., Katsanevakis, S., Manea, E., Montefalcone, M., Sini, M., Asnaghi, 
V., Calò, A., Di Lorenzo, M., Garrabou, J., Musco, L., Oprandi, A., Rilov, G., and Borja, A. (2022) An integrated 
assessment of the Good Environmental Status of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas. Journal of Environmental 
Management 305: 114370. 
36 Reports STECF EWG 23-09 and STECF PLEN 24-01. 

13 

 
 
 
the view that the plan has been counterproductive since it lacks provisions detailing specifically 
how to implement an ecosystem-based management of fisheries.  

2.5.  REGIONAL COOPERATION 

MedAC was set  up in  September 2008 and  consists of organisations representing fisheries and 
other  interest  groups  affected  by  the  CFP  (e.g.  environmental  non-governmental  organisations, 
sports and recreational fisheries organisations)37. The main aim of MedAC is to provide advice 
on  fisheries  management  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  on  socio-economic  and  conservation 
aspects.  MedAC  must  be  consulted  on  certain  matters,  notably  on  Member  States’  joint 
recommendations, and their advice is to be taken into account.  

Since  2019,  MedAC  has  been  extremely  active  in  implementing  the  plan.  A  specific  working 
group  was  created  under  MedAC  to  focus  on  the  plan.  It  issued  five  pieces  of  advice  and 
participates as an observer in most STECF meetings on the plan. 

MedAC  emphasised  that  since  the  plan  was  adopted,  the  level  of  communication  between 
regional  stakeholders  has  improved.  Member  States  consider  that  regional  cooperation  has 
developed positively,  noting  that the preparation  of joint  recommendations could  be improved. 
The idea of joint recommendations as a regionally tailor-made instrument is well understood, but 
their  preparation  often  requires  time-consuming  prior  research.  The  adoption  of  delegated  acts 
also takes time due to the multiple scientific and administrative steps in the process.  

The  Commission  considers  that  Member  States  could  have  made  greater  use  of  the 
regionalisation  process  by  submitting  joint  recommendations  for  the  adoption  of 
conservation  measures  referred  to  in  Articles  11  to  13  of  the  plan  and  by  submitting  joint 
recommendations  for  exemptions  to  the  landing  obligation.  They  should  also  have  consulted 
with  the  Advisory  Council  and  other  stakeholders  on  the  longstanding  issues  influencing  the 
Western Mediterranean Sea. Despite frequent reminders from the Commission, key issues have 
not  been  tackled  collectively,  such  as  more  sustainable  management  of  hake  stocks,  making 
significant improvements to gear selectivity, setting higher MCRS or taking broader measures to 
set up an efficient network of closure areas to protect nurseries and spawning grounds. 

37 Med-ac - Consiglio consultivo regionale per il mediterraneo https://en.med-ac.eu/. 

14