Source: European Parliament
1. The international joint inspection scheme for the dolphinfish fishery with Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) is now in force under Recommendation GFCM/46/2023/17[1]. The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) patrol vessel is deployed in the Strait of Sicily before the start of the fishing season of the FAD dolphinfish fishery to deter such cases of non-compliance. While the Commission received reports of unmarked FADs sighted at sea during this period, it has not received sightings of fishing vessels targeting dolphinfish with FADs outside the authorised period from EFCA or from national control authorities. Should the Commission receive such reports from the Maltese authorities, it would ensure thorough assessment.
2. The Commission considers that the current drafting of paragraph 23 of Recommendation GFCM/46/2023/14[2] and Article 82 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2124[3] is sufficiently clear in prohibiting common dolphinfish fisheries using FADs from 1 January to 14 August 2024.
3. The fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a key priority of the Commission. In this context, the Commission started last year an ambitious process for strengthening the Compliance Committee (CoC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). This year, the Commission will be pilot testing the compliance tables with all Contracting Parties and Cooperating non-contracting parties (CPCs) aiming to assess the proper implementation of the management measures by all CPCs. In addition, the Commission shares the view that cases of non-compliance detected at sea should be followed up in the CoC. In May 2025, the GFCM intends to organise a dedicated seminar on inspection schemes in Vigo.