A Sea That Tests Our Collective Will
By: Mohammed Tafraouti
Between the turbulence of Mediterranean waves and the growing signs of ecological stress, the quest for a balance between exploitation and protection continues.
Despite rising awareness among scientists, NGOs and civil society, implementation remains slow, hindered by vested interests, bureaucracy and a lack of political will.
At the close of the 48th session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), it became clear that safeguarding the sea is not only a matter of science but also of conscience and moral choice.
A Crisis-Laden Reality Between Science and Policy
The Mediterranean illustrates the widening gap between scientific recommendations and their concrete application.
The absence of accurate data delays the development of effective policies, while administrative procedures, often influenced by lobbying, slow down decision-making.
At sea, monitoring remains weak, and compliance with laws is nearly nonexistent. It is worth recalling that international waters account for less than 1% of the Mediterranean; most fishing occurs within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). This makes monitoring primarily the responsibility of national authorities and requires reliable reference systems.
Illegal fishing practices, discarding of marine species and violations of seasons and size limits continue, while port control remains inadequate despite technological advances in vessel tracking.
Yet the gravest issue remains the failure to transform scientific awareness into political will, especially in light of the challenges facing small-scale fishers and the limited public engagement in understanding the risks and the need for reform.
Environmental Justice and the Test of Governance
Fisheries issues in the Mediterranean go beyond ecology; they touch on environmental justice between North and South, East and West, as well as between generations.
While some countries possess advanced monitoring technologies, others lack even the most basic regulatory tools.
The most profound injustice is toward future generations: a sea depleted of fish, biodiversity under threat, and ecosystems strained by overfishing, climate change and invasive species.
Modern traceability technologies offer unprecedented possibilities for observation and analysis. But without effective governance and collective will, the Mediterranean will remain hostage to administrative inefficiency and institutional inertia.
Scoullos: A Growing Gap Between Awareness and Action… and “the Most Serious Injustice” Toward Future Generations
Professor Michael Scoullos, environmental chemist and Director of the Ecology Laboratory at the University of Athens, warns of a widening gap between the growing scientific understanding of the Mediterranean crisis and the very slow pace of implementation on the ground. He explains that “the clear gap between the increasing awareness among scientists, NGOs, and a broad segment of the public regarding the environmental crisis in the Mediterranean, and the extremely slow adoption of scientific recommendations by governments and regional or international institutions, is linked to a set of factors that vary from one country to another, depending on the priorities of the fishing sector and the strength and awareness level of the specialized national and regional agencies involved.”
Scoullos notes that the lack of reliable data constitutes the first major barrier to reform, as most environmental issues in the Mediterranean suffer from significant information gaps. This alone delays the formulation of robust, science-based recommendations that can guide public policy. Even once formulated, these policies then require governmental and parliamentary approval, often through lengthy procedures heavily influenced by national and sectoral interests as well as powerful lobbies.
On the ground, he stresses that enforcement remains the weakest link, particularly at sea, where monitoring and inspection operations are extremely difficult, even within national waters, and almost nonexistent in international waters. Illegal fishing, the use of banned gear, violations of closed seasons, catching prohibited sizes or species, and the lack of effective control at landing points all remain common practices despite the technological advances available today.
Scoullos adds that the lack of strong political will plays a decisive role in maintaining the status quo. The ongoing crisis facing small-scale and medium-scale fisheries makes governments reluctant to impose stricter measures, while the general public still lacks sufficient awareness of the severity of the situation and of the possibilities to reduce the heavy footprint of unsustainable fishing on marine stocks.
He stresses that public awareness and meaningful dialogue on sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean remain far below what is required, and that national and regional policies must be far more coherent and harmonized. These should be accompanied by realistic enforcement mechanisms, efficient monitoring systems, and accurate assessments of pressures on fish stocks, species, and ecosystems—including the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and the ways to mitigate them.
Scoullos also highlights the complex issue of environmental justice in fisheries, describing it as one of the most challenging aspects in the Mediterranean, where disparities in technological capacity and political leverage between North and South, and even within southern countries, interact with long-established traditional practices. Much can be improved, he notes, through proper implementation of the Law of the Sea and through well-trained and well-informed coast guards.
However, “the most serious injustice,” Scoullos states, is the intergenerational one:
“We are leaving future generations a sea that is poorer, less diverse, and increasingly degraded—an outcome of the overfishing carried out by our generation and the rapid spread of invasive species fueled by climate change caused by our greenhouse-gas emissions.”
He concludes by emphasizing that modern technologies now provide unprecedented capabilities for monitoring, assessing, and understanding the impacts of climate change, pollution, and invasive species, as well as for evaluating fish stocks and guiding the transformations needed for a more sustainable future. Yet all of this depends on effective governance, at a time when international governance mechanisms are showing signs of stagnation or decline, delaying the establishment of strong operational systems for implementing science-based policies.
He affirms that public awareness and active citizen participation can create genuine pressure on decision-makers to act more responsibly and effectively, before it is too late.
From the Voice of Science to the Echo of Memory: The Appeal of Cousteau’s Granddaughter
As the 48th session drew to a close, a symbolic message emerged from the heart of the sea itself. It was delivered to the governments of Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt by Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of ocean legend Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Her message, infused with the family’s heritage of ocean protection, was clear:
“Adopt the IMO numbering system for all fishing vessels. It is cost-free, effective and a step toward transparency in the Mediterranean.”
It was more than a technical recommendation, it was a moral appeal, echoing Jacques Cousteau’s belief that protection begins with knowledge and that transparency is the gateway to preservation.
Why These Countries? The Numbers Speak Clearly
In Tunisia, less than 40% of registered vessels hold an IMO number, leaving a significant portion of the fleet untraceable. Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco are all IMO member states capable of assigning IMO identifiers, yet implementation for fishing vessels remains limited. Egypt primarily assigns IMO numbers to large commercial ships, while vessels under 20 meters are not yet included. In Tunisia, most vessels are under 15 meters and therefore ineligible, making the system effectively optional. Morocco is the most advanced, with most offshore industrial vessels registered, although many smaller Mediterranean boats still fall outside the traceability framework
At the last GFCM session, the proposal to require IMO numbers for vessels 15 meters and above was not adopted. Instead, the obligation was limited to vessels 20 meters and above, prompting mixed reactions among conservation groups.
Helena Álvarez, Senior Marine Scientist at Oceana, commented: “The new GFCM decision is a step in the right direction, but it remains insufficient to ensure true transparency…”
The WWF also recognized progress but stressed the need to expand the measure to smaller vessels.
Simone Niedermüeller, Acting Fisheries Policy Lead for WWF-Mediterranean, stated:
“It will be essential that all vessels of this size leaving their EEZ have an IMO number. Further progress is needed to extend robust unique identifiers to smaller segments of the fleet.”
A major loophole persists: the recommendation applies only to vessels 20 meters and above, while many industrial or semi-industrial vessels operating in the high seas of the Mediterranean measure between 15 and 20 meters, allowing them to operate without IMO numbers and remain invisible in global systems.
From The Silent World to the Noise of Data
In the 1950s, Jacques-Yves Cousteau broke the silence of the depths by revealing their beauty in his legendary film The Silent World (1956).
Today, his granddaughter seeks to break the silence of data by calling for greater digital transparency in vessel monitoring.
In essence: “For Alexandra Cousteau, transparency in vessel tracking is the foundation of any form of protection.”
Between the two generations, the same message persists, expressed in a different language: The grandfather carried a camera to reveal the beauty of the world; the granddaughter raises digital codes to reveal its truth.
From the lens of the Calypso to the algorithms of the IMO, the spirit remains unchanged: To love the sea is to know it, and to protect it.
From Awareness to Action
The 48th session of the GFCM has no magic wand, but it has launched a decisive test:
Will Mediterranean governments respond to Alexandra Cousteau’s call?
Will they adopt IMO numbers as instruments of justice and transparency for vessels over 15 meters?
As Jacques Cousteau once said: “We do not only protect what we love, we also love what we understand.”
Today, it is impossible to understand or protect the Mediterranean without digital transparency showing what happens on its surface and in its depths.
Adopting IMO numbers for vessels over 15 meters is not a bureaucratic act—but a conscious gesture of love toward the sea and future generations.
In essence: At the closing of the session—between expert reports and activist appeals—the voices of Skoullos and Cousteau rose in harmony: moving from awareness to action, from discourse to decision.
The Mediterranean does not need more conferences; it needs political will and digital transparency. As Simone Niedermüeller of WWF, Mediterranean put it: “This year’s decisions show real momentum, but the hardest work starts now…”
