Mediterranean Fisheries Show Hope as Aquaculture Becomes the New Regional Power

The 2025 report shows that Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries are slowly recovering thanks to reduced fishing pressure and coordinated regional management, though overexploitation and ecological vulnerabilities remain significant challenges. At the same time, rapidly expanding aquaculture is driving food production growth but faces rising risks from climate change, disease and complex regulations.

The 2025 edition of The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries opens with the work of more than 700 experts from national fisheries institutes, regional scientific centres, universities and advisory bodies whose coordinated research forms the backbone of the report’s findings. Through extensive stock assessments, ecosystem monitoring, socioeconomic surveys and aquaculture data collection, these institutions enable the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) to chart the evolving health of two of the world’s most complex and historically rich marine basins. Their collective effort reveals a striking shift: after years of crisis, early signs of ecological recovery are beginning to surface.

A Fragile but Encouraging Recovery in Wild Stocks

The report delivers an unexpectedly hopeful message. Over the past decade, fishing pressure across assessed stocks has declined by nearly 50 percent, while the share of sustainably exploited stocks has doubled and biomass has increased by 25 percent. These gains reflect an unprecedented decade of coordinated management, including 11 multiannual management plans and 11 fisheries restricted areas, many of which are now showing measurable ecological benefits. Yet the recovery is far from complete: 52 percent of stocks remain overexploited, and many species still sit below the biomass levels required to secure long-term sustainability. Economic strain continues for both industrial and small-scale fleets as reduced fishing pressure, high fuel prices and fluctuating stocks reshape livelihoods.

Shifting Patterns in Fisheries Production

Capture fisheries production remained stable in 2023 at 1.12 million tonnes. Türkiye dominated regional landings with 37 percent, driven largely by the highly variable Black Sea anchovy, while Italy’s catch dropped to one quarter of its historical peak. Spain, Croatia, Greece and Morocco also show downward trends. The region is increasingly dependent on a narrow group of species: European anchovy now represents more than one-third of all landings, sardine contributes around 12 percent and small pelagics dominate the marine food supply. Demersal species such as hake, Norway lobster and turbot continue their long decline, illustrating the lasting impacts of decades of overfishing and environmental stress. Beyond landings, discards, especially from bottom trawlers, remain significant, and hotspots of incidental capture of sea turtles, dolphins, seabirds and elasmobranchs persist, despite improved monitoring through programmes such as MedSea4Fish and BlackSea4Fish.

Aquaculture: The Engine of Growth, and a New Set of Challenges

While fisheries stagnate, aquaculture is reshaping the region’s aquatic food landscape. Marine and brackish water aquaculture reached 940,000 tonnes in 2023, within a larger 3-million-tonne aquaculture economy when freshwater systems are included. Türkiye leads production, followed by Egypt and Greece, while Italy dominates molluscs. Gilthead seabream and European seabass remain the backbone of marine aquaculture, reflecting technological advances and strong market demand. Yet this rapid expansion brings rising risks: marine heatwaves, disease outbreaks, non-indigenous species, and regulatory fragmentation threaten long-term resilience. Licensing remains a major bottleneck, especially for small producers outside the EU, and climate-driven stressors are expected to intensify. Despite challenges, aquaculture employs more than 113,000 people, more youth than the fisheries sector, and plays an increasingly strategic role in food security, particularly in Egypt and North African states.

People, Livelihoods and the Future of Blue Food

Capture fisheries still support 750,000 jobs across the value chain, though the workforce is ageing and onboard roles remain largely male-dominated, with women comprising just 10 percent. When processing and post-harvest work is included, women represent nearly 30 percent, but youth participation across the sector remains low. Industrial fleets face narrowing profit margins due to soaring energy costs, while small-scale fishers grapple with limited social protection, fluctuating incomes and competition for coastal space. Meeting future regional food needs will require a 14 to 29 percent increase in aquatic food production by 2050, yet this growth must be achieved sustainably. The report concludes that the Mediterranean and Black Sea, long seen as symbols of marine decline, are demonstrating that stock recovery and sustainable expansion are possible through science-based governance, resilient aquaculture systems and strengthened regional cooperation grounded in the ongoing work of the region’s research institutions.