Fisheries Management in the Black Sea—Pros and Cons

About 85% of the Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks assessed are fished at biologically unsustainable levels (FAO, 2016). The experience of EU fisheries management is unique in its scope and ambition, in that it represents the only example of reconciling the concerns of a variety of coastal countries and eco-regions with diverse, if not divergent, interests into a Common Fisheries Policy, the CFP. The last revision, after adoption and several other revisions of the CFP is referred to as the 2013 CFP throughout the document. It is notable that experiences drawn from other countries’ fisheries management have been considered to shape the 2013 CFP and these will likely be accounted for in reviewing future performance (Marchal et al., 2016). The EC and GFCM are promoting a regional approach to fisheries management in the Black Sea. GFCM (2015) has adopted measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in turbot fisheries in the Black Sea as well as management measures for dogfish. Both sets of measures entered into force were reinforced with additional management measures aiming to further protect the stocks in danger (GFCM, 2016). Yet the regulated stocks in EU waters represents very low percent from the total catch in Black Sea (STECF, 2015; FAO, 2016). For example, sprat catches in EU waters were estimated for 2012–2014 between 4 and 14% and 4.6–7% for EU share of turbot catches. This opinion aims to underline the efforts toward fishery management improvement in the Black Sea in the last years but also to highlight the existing gaps and challenges in sustainable management of marine living resources in the region.