Biodiversity conservation in the Mediterranean: how can an RFMO contribute?

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most biodiverse yet ecologically fragile marine regions, and currently faces multiple interacting pressures, including overfishing, habitat degradation and pollution, and climate change. As these challenges intensify, conserving biodiversity has become paramount for sustaining healthy ecosystems and fisheries resources while safeguarding the livelihoods of coastal communities. The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as regional fisheries management organization (RFMO), through its 2030 Strategy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, offers a framework that aligns fisheries management with broader conservation goals. This contribution seeks to examine the GFCM’s evolving role in biodiversity conservation, exploring how its strategic initiatives and adaptive governance for fisheries management can also contribute to mitigating threats to biodiversity and to global conservation targets. It will highlight specific measures within the GFCM management process, offering insights into how governance, science, and stakeholder involvement can converge to secure a sustainable future for Mediterranean biodiversity. Through these actions, the GFCM is positioned to make a critical contribution toward maintaining balanced Mediterranean ecosystems where biodiversity thrives alongside sustainable fisheries.