ⓒ Ben Dilley
The Issue
The Mediterranean is under severe strain. Three-quarters of its fish stocks are overfished and many commercial species have been driven into steady decline. While parts of the region have begun to make progress toward stronger and more effective fisheries management efforts, numerous challenges remain. With an estimated 180,000 livelihoods dependent on a regional fishing industry valued at €4.6 billion, overfishing in the Mediterranean continues to threaten both marine ecosystems and coastal economies.
In the Adriatic Sea, an offshoot of the Mediterranean, the situation is similar. Off the coasts of Italy and the Balkans, stocks of Nephrops norvegicus, also known as Norway lobster, are showing clear signs of depletion, with biomass levels falling well below safe limits. This, in turn, has prompted recommendations for the implementation of recovery plans with the aim of reducing fish mortality by 25 percent to return to sustainable levels.
At its 48th annual meeting, held in Málaga, Spain, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) examined how to address the Norway lobster’s decline. The organization’s contracting and cooperating parties (CPCs) focused on updating the management plan for the Adriatic, including an urgent need to strengthen catch reductions and implement new seasonal or spatial closures and more coordinated regional oversight. These efforts were especially targeted at the Jabuka/Pomo Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA), a biologically sensitive stretch of the central Adriatic long recognized as an essential lobster habitat.
The result was the new and stricter Recommendation GFCM/48/2025/6. Backed by the European Union, Albania and Montenegro, the recommendation places heavier limits on bottom-trawl fishing and expands protections in the areas where Norway lobster is most vulnerable.
Our Work
Behind the scenes of the GFCM meeting, Global Fishing Watch played a pivotal role in advancing efforts to reverse the Norway lobster’s decline in the Adriatic. Working closely with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Global Fishing Watch analysts brought together spatial data on Norway lobster biomass distribution and near real-time automatic identification system (AIS) signals from trawlers operating in the region. The analysis was conducted using Marine Manager, the technology portal co-founded by Dona Bertarelli. This analysis enabled Albanian officials to clearly visualize where trawling activity overlapped with the highest concentrations of Norway lobster and to identify fishing-effort patterns.
The results of the analysis facilitated coordination between Albania and its European counterparts to drive the adoption of the new recommendation. Thanks to Global Fishing Watch’s technical work, the GFCM formally approved a binding measure for all CPCs aimed at reducing bottom trawling in the Norway lobster’s Adriatic habitat and expanding spatial and seasonal closures to protect the species in ecologically sensitive areas of the Adriatic.
“This development represents a success story of collaboration among the administrations of the three CPCs, working closely with national scientific institutions and non-governmental organizations, and supported by Global Fishing Watch,” said Marco Kule, head of sector at Albania’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Policies and Programmes Directorate. “Their joint analysis of spatial evidence on the distribution of Norway lobster in the Adriatic Sea led to the establishment of a new closure area.”
Global Fishing Watch will continue supporting Albania and GFCM member countries with data-driven insights to improve decision-making and promote more sustainable and transparent fisheries management across the Mediterranean.
