Fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

The European Commission has adopted a proposal for fishing opportunities for 2026 for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks for the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The proposal for a Council Regulation fixing fishing opportunities for 2026 for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and Black Seas promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks in the aforementioned basins and implements the political commitments made under the MedFish4Ever Declaration and the Sofia Declaration.

The assessment of the status of stocks in the Mediterranean and Black Seas is based on the latest work of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) and the GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries.

General background

The European Commission is promoting an enhanced multilateral approach and cooperation in fisheries management in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. All regulations on fishing opportunities must, according to the adopted assumptions, limit the exploitation of fish stocks to levels consistent with the overall objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Regulation (EU) No. 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provides for the setting of catch and effort targets to ensure the use of marine biological resources in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner.

The governance framework, strengthened by the adoption of the new GFCM Strategy 2030, was established by the MedFish4Ever Declaration and the Sofia Declaration.

Sofia Declaration

Following the MedFish4Ever Declaration signed in Malta in 2017, the Sofia Declaration from 2018 links Mediterranean and Black Sea activities at the international level to the EU’s fisheries and aquaculture policy objectives, which are environmentally sustainable, contribute to food security and achieve economic, social and employment benefits.

The Sofia Declaration was signed by representatives of the European Commission, coastal states, as well as other countries interested in aquaculture such as Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Moldova and Turkey, as well as the European Commission. It is a follow-up to the Bucharest Declaration, transforming commitments into concrete actions that have tangible results in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, improving data collection and science, improving fisheries management and boosting sustainable aquaculture development.

It sets out a detailed work plan for 10 years, based on concerted action with ambitious but consistent and realistic goals.

Fisheries Regulation 2026.

The prepared regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for 2026 for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and Black Seas applies to EU fishing activities, including recreational fishing, if specifically indicated in the relevant regulations, and EU fishing vessels that operate in the said seas, exploiting the following fish stocks:

• European eel(Anguilla anguilla), red coral(Corallium rubrum) andcoryphaena (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Mediterranean Sea;
• Pale red deep-sea shrimp(Aristeus antennatus), pink deep-sea shrimp(Parapenaeus longirostris), red deep-sea shrimp(Aristaeomorpha foliacea), European hake(Merluccius merluccius), lobster(Nephrops norvegicus) and mullet(Mullus barbatus) in the western Mediterranean;
• European anchovy(Engraulis encrasicolus) and European sardine(Sardina pilchardus) in the Adriatic Sea;
• European hake(Merluccius merluccius), lobster(Nephrops norvegicus), sole(Solea solea), deep-sea pink shrimp(Parapenaeus longirostris) and mullet(Mullus barbatus) in the Adriatic Sea;
• European hake(Merluccius merluccius) and deep-sea pink shrimp(Parapenaeus longirostris) in the Strait of Sicily;
• Red deep-sea shrimp(Aristaeomorpha foliacea) and pale red deep-sea shrimp(Aristeus antennatus) in the Strait of Sicily, the Ionian Sea and the Levantine Sea;
• Bogar sea bream(Pagellus bogaraveo) in the Alboran Sea;
• Sprat(Sprattus sprattus) and turbot(Scophthalmus maximus) in the Black Sea.

The proposed regulation allocates fishing opportunities to member states in accordance with the objectives of the CFP regulation, the Western Mediterranean Groundfish Multiannual Plan, and the results of the annual GFCM meeting.

According to the CFP regulation, it is up to member states to decide how to allocate available fishing opportunities among fishing vessels flying their flag based on certain criteria. This gives member states considerable leeway in allocating fishing opportunities according to their social and economic models.

Połowy i hodowla ryb w Afryce musi wzrosnąć – nowy raport

Fishing opportunities for 2026. – proposal

For the Mediterranean, the proposal includes measures agreed upon under various GFCM management plans, with specific measures for black-spotted cod and deep-sea shrimp to be updated later in 2025.

For the Black Sea, the proposal includes catch limits and quotas for sprat and turbot. The Commission proposes to maintain the catch limit for the former at 2025. For turbot, total allowable catch levels and quotas are set in accordance with the provisions of the GFCM management plan.

What’s next for the Commission’s proposal

Adopted on September 22, 2025, the proposal will be supplemented by the results of the annual session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, which is scheduled for November 4-9, 2025, as well as the opinion of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries on the bottom stocks covered by the multi-year management plan for the Western Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, according to the approved work schedule, on December 11-12 this year. The Council should discuss and reach political agreement on the Commission’s proposal. The regulation should enter into force on January 1, 2026.