The European Commission （EC） has approved a proposal to transpose into European unio legislation stronger measures to help the recovery of the Mediterranean swordfish.

　　The new regulation incorporates the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Recommendation 16-05, including a 15-year recovery plan, into EU law. This recommendation was adopted during the 2016 ICCAT Annual Meeting held in Vilamoura, Portugal.

　　The recommendation lays down rules for the conservation, management and control of the Mediterranean stock of swordfish aiming to achieve a biomass corresponding to a maximum sustainable yield by 2031 with at least 60 per cent probability of achieving that objective.

　　In addition, it foresees a linear reduction of 3 per cent each year of the TAC from 2018 to 2022.

　　The EC considers that this is a crucial step towards better management of a stock in deep distress and towards achieving the overarching objective of the MedFish4Ever Declaration: ensuring the environmental, economic and social sustainability of Mediterranean fisheries for present and future generations.

　　“The future of the Mediterranean swordfish is seriously at risk. Catches have decreased by almost 50 per cent in the last twenty years and too many juveniles are caught before they can reproduce and secure the survival of the species. We cannot afford to repeat the same mistake that brought bluefin tuna to the verge of collapse in the past.”  Giuseppe Di Carlo, Director, WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative

　　The Commission highlights that the proposed regulation provides operators with legal certainty regarding rules and obligations, thus enabling the unio to meet its international responsibilities.

　　Recommendation 16-05 establishes a recovery plan that takes into account the specificities of different types of gear and fishing techniques.

　　The EC insists that when implementing the recovery plan, the unio and Member States should undertake to promote coastal fishing activities and the use of selective fishing gear and techniques that reduce the environmental impact, including gear and techniques used in traditional and artisanal fisheries, thereby ensuring a fair standard of living for local fishing communities.

　　The EU submitted its fishing and inspection plan to the ICCAT Secretariat on 15 March 2018, which includes the number of EU vessels authorised to fish Mediterranean swordfish in 2018.