New Adriatic fisheries unit opens
A new technical unit in Croatia promises to strengthen scientific cooperation and sustainable fisheries management across six Adriatic countries
A new technical unit dedicated to sustainable fisheries management in the Adriatic Sea has officially opened in Split, Croatia, strengthening cooperation among countries sharing the waters.
The Adriatic Sea Technical Unit of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will provide a permanent subregional presence to support scientific research, data collection and coordinated fisheries management.
“Strong science remains at the centre of progress,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said at the high-level inauguration ceremony, highlighting the need for reliable data, research and innovative approaches to turn knowledge into effective fisheries management.
The ceremony was attended by Croatian State Secretary Ivan Matijević, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries Director Živana Ninčević and GFCM Executive Secretary Miguel Bernal, ahead of the 37th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries.
During the ceremony Qu warned that growing demand for aquatic foods, increasing fishing pressure and the climate crisis are placing mounting pressure on marine ecosystems, making international cooperation and science-based decisions increasingly important.
The new unit will support Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia, improving coordination and helping implement fisheries management measures across the subregion.
It will also contribute to MedSea4Fish, the GFCM capacity development programme, strengthening technical expertise, institutional capacity and knowledge-sharing.
Qu pointed to progress made through GFCM cooperation, including 11 management plans and spatial measures designed to protect vulnerable ecosystems and fish habitats. Biomass of stocks has increased by around 25%, while the proportion of overexploited stocks fell from 87% in 2013 to 52% in 2023.
Reflecting on the new centre’s purpose, Qu said: “We are here in Split. But we are not split – we are in fact more united towards efficient, inclusive and sustainable approaches to the fisheries in the Adriatic sea.”
