GCFM

It is crucial that concerted effort be made at a regional level to manage and conserve cartilaginous species present in the Mediterranean basin. Such actions should be contained within the frameworks of those institutions whose mandate involves policy making. In order to suggest programs of evaluation to the conservation status of these organisms at Mediterranean level, GFCM brings together all Mediterranean countries in an international working group (SAC). Each year, one or two meetings of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the GFCM are held to argue the most critical aspects of marine organisms and their habitats.

One of the main proposals discussed in the SAC-SCMEE (SAC Sub-Committee on Marine Environmental and Ecosystem) addressing this subject and adopted as recommendation by SAC-GFCM is the MEDLEM program for collection of data and information related to the large cartilaginous fishes living in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (www.gfcm.org).