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A fragile stability for Western Mediterranean fisheries
The political agreement reached by European Union ministers on fishing opportunities in the Western Mediterranean for 2026 offers the fleet a sense of short-term continuity and breathing space, but it leaves unresolved an issue the sector has known for far too long: excessive pressure on fish stocks. Behind the word “stability”, in fact, lies a fragile balance that fails to address the core challenge of biological and economic sustainability in Mediterranean fisheries.
Overexploited stocks remain the central challenge
In the Western Mediterranean, an area directly involving France, Italy and Spain, more than half of the assessed fish populations—around 55%—remain overexploited. Fishing mortality continues to be significantly higher than sustainable levels, at approximately 1.6 times the reference values. These figures reflect a reality well known to fishing operators, institutions and the scientific community, highlighting how fisheries management remains a complex equation in which every decision weighs heavily on the future of the sector.
No further cuts to trawling days in 2026
Faced with mounting socio-economic pressure, ministers chose not to further reduce trawling days, maintaining for 2026 the same management framework already set for 2025. This decision responds to the daily difficulties faced by fishing enterprises, but according to several environmental organisations, it risks once again postponing essential structural interventions. As underlined by Giulia Guadagnoli, Senior Policy Advisor at Oceana in Europe, securing a prosperous future for the sector will inevitably require a more decisive reduction in fishing mortality and action on overcapacity, in order to safeguard both marine ecosystems and the long-term viability of the fishing fleet.
Legal obligations under EU fisheries policy
The European regulatory framework is clear. Member States in the Western Mediterranean are under a legal obligation to end overfishing by 2025, in line with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the multiannual management plan. The 2026 agreement, however, confirms the fishing days already established, without further cuts, while introducing a key constraint: the total number of days may not, under any circumstances, exceed the levels authorised for 2025, even through the benefits derived from the compensation mechanism. This clause is designed to prevent a net increase in fishing effort, but it shifts attention to the actual effectiveness of management tools.
The compensation mechanism and its limits
At the heart of the agreement lies the compensation mechanism, based on voluntary technical measures such as gear modifications to improve selectivity, spatial or seasonal closures, and other options—up to a maximum of fourteen measures—intended to reduce fishing mortality. In theory, these instruments can support a more gradual transition to sustainable fisheries. In practice, their success will depend on rigorous implementation, measurable biological benefits, and an effective monitoring system. Any additional fishing day, as Guadagnoli has pointed out, must be strictly proportionate to the results achieved in terms of stock recovery.
Deep-sea ecosystem protection remains insufficient
Critical issues remain. Among them is the failure to extend protections for deep-sea ecosystems. The closure to fishing remains set below 800 metres, without being extended to 600 metres—a depth at which fishing activity is already very limited. This choice risks allowing vessels to benefit unjustifiably from additional fishing days, increasing overall fishing effort and diverging from scientific recommendations.
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