Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC)
Subregional Committee for the Central Mediterranean (SRC-CM), including a
WGMSE session on demersal, common dolphinfish and deep-water red shrimp fisheries

INFORMATION NOTE

Date and place
SRC-CM: Monday 11 – Thursday 14 April 2022
Working hours: 09:30–13:00; 14:30–17:30Meeting location: ONLINE
Subregional Committee for the Central Mediterranean (SRC-CM)

Background

New terms of reference for the subregional committees (SRCs) were endorsed by the forty-fourth
annual session of the GFCM Thus, the subregional committees (SRCs) are independent and created for
each of the four Mediterranean subregions (Adriatic Sea, western, central and eastern Mediterranean)
to support the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission
for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in implementing its mandate, as described in the GFCM Rules of
Procedure. In particular, the SRCs are expected to:

provide technical advice to the SAC by reviewing work carried out in the context of relevant
working groups, strategic activities or initiatives as well as compiling information on – inter
alia – the status of fisheries, in particular those that interact with GFCM priority species,
adopted multiannual management plans and requests made by the Commission as well as
potential management measures, including spatial-management measures such as fisheries
restricted areas;

analyse the progress towards the sustainability of fisheries at subregional level and in the
context of the objectives of relevant GFCM recommendations, including by assessing relevant
national data and information as well as management measures in place, and by identifying
potential modifications or improvements based on subregional needs and submit alternative
proposals to the SAC;

prepare a draft work plan for the consideration of the SAC, addressing mandatory requirements
as well as priority issues for the subregion, in line with relevant requests and taking into account
strategies in place and emerging challenges; and

carry out any other relevant action and/or provide technical inputs, as appropriate in line with
the work of the SAC and the requests of the Commission.

The functioning of the SRCs is aligned with the principles governing the functioning of the SAC. A
chair is selected and coordinates with the GFCM Secretariat in discharging his or her duties. The SRC
meetings are open and stakeholders, including country administrations, act in a technical capacity. The
SRCs formulate technical conclusions that are made available on the GFCM website, together with
relevant appendixes, as the SRC report. The implementation of the SRC work plans and identification
of subregional priorities during the intersession are supported by the MedSea4Fish project.

Main objectives
The Subregional Committee for the Central Mediterranean (SRC-CM) will meet again to address,
among other things, specific issues emanating from the adopted recommendations on management
measures for sustainable trawl fisheries targeting giant red shrimp and blue and red shrimp and as well as
bottom trawl fisheries for demersal stocks in the Strait of Sicily, on the use of anchored fish
aggregating devices in common dolphinfish fisheries, alongside other subregional priorities, such as
existing research programmes, issues related to bycatch and endangered species, priority species and
the GFCM 2030 strategy, to be brought to the attention of the SAC.

Attendance
Attendance to GFCM expert groups is open and in particular experts (scientific and administration)
from the central Mediterranean subregion are invited to participate.

Call for contributions and data
Participants are invited to submit a contribution, in line with the above-mentioned requirements and
with the topics outlined in the agenda, by inserting an abstract when registering online for the meeting.
The presentations will be integrated in the annotated agenda as appropriate.

Language
The meetings will be conducted in English.

Registration
Kindly register your participation and submit your technical contributions on the GFCM website at
https://www.fao.org/gfcm/meetings/info/en/c/1476047/ by 4 April 2022.

Contacts
• For technical matters on SRC-CM:
Ms Elisabetta Betulla Morello, GFCM Fishery Resources Officer
E-mail: Elisabetta.Morello@fao.org
Tel: (0039) 06 570 56902
• For administrative issues and any other matters:
GFCM Secretariat
E-mail: GFCM-Secretariat@fao.org
Tel: (0039) 05 570 56566