Fish Trade among Mediterranean Countries

The aim of this paper is to analyse the trade in fish and fishery products in the Mediterranean basin. With reference to the fisheries sector, it appears that the influence of market forces on the management of fisheries (and vice-versa) is increasing. After an overview of recent trends in fishery production, the study focuses on the exchange of fishery products, based on data from UN-Comtrade and FAO and Eurostat data. The core of the study comprises an analysis of the fish trade between the two sides of the Mediterranean basin, the EU and the non-EU countries. At the European level, the trade in fish products between the northern and the southern Mediterranean is of particular importance when considering recent in production and consumption, as well as the legal framework covering both the production and trade sides of the fishery sector. The cross-sectoral analysis of fishery production and trade provides a number of conclusions and lessons for the future of fishery management.