General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean: report of the thirty-ninth session, Milan, Italy, 25-29 May 2015

During this session, a set of important measures for the management and conservation of fisheries resources in both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea were discussed and agreed upon, including establishing further precautionary and emergency measures for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea; and setting minimum standards for bottom trawling fisheries of demersal stocks in the Strait of Sicily. Cooperating non-contracting party status was granted to Georgia and Ukraine in light of their increasing involvement in GFCM activities in the Black Sea. Moreover, the Commission requested the GFCM Secretariat to finalize and sign, on behalf of GFCM/FAO, four new memoranda of understanding with MedPAN, ATLAFCO, OceanCare and EATIP. During the meeting, the Commission also examined and adopted by consensus its new rules of procedure and financial regulations, in line with the new GFCM Agreement entered into force on 20 May 2014. This report gives an account of the main points discussed during the meeting attended by representatives from 23 Members, 3 non-Members as well as 7 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations