Fishery Resources Specialist

Organizational Setting
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is a regional fisheries management organization established under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. Its main objective is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The GFCM formulates and recommends appropriate measures and ensures these recommendations are implemented;

coordinates efforts by countries to effectively manage fisheries and aquaculture; monitors the status of fishery resources and carries out scientific work to support advice and decision-making; coordinates and benefits from the support of projects and programmes at the regional and subregional levels to enhance scientific cooperation and capacity building among its membership. To fulfil its mandate, the GFCM collaborates, gathers and shares information with a wide network of institutions and partners.

In this context and as its activities bring new projects and fields of work, new products and events need to be properly prepared and promoted. For its ambitious strategies to succeed, the GFCM needs to communicate effectively about its work and its impact to key audiences. Good communication can contribute to obtaining support and participation and securing cooperation between all stakeholders involved.
The posts are either home-based or located at GFCM headquarters (Via Vittoria Colonna 1, – Rome, Italy).
Reporting lines
The Fishery Resources Specialist to the GFCM Fishery Officers and to the GFCM Executive Secretary. She/he closely collaborates with relevant staff at the GFCM Secretariat and in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.
Technical focus
Areas of work cover sustainable development and management of fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region, including sustainable aquaculture development, aquaculture capacity development activities within the ADC, policy support, implementation of relevant plans of action and binding decisions in place, small-scale fisheries guidelines implementation, Blue Transformation, fisheries-related SDG monitoring, data analysis and assessment of the status of marine living resources, management strategy evaluation, ecosystem approach to fisheries management planning and implementation, interactions between fisheries and the marine environment and ecosystems, discards monitoring programmes and awareness, scientific surveys, fishing gear and fishing techniques, gear selectivity, fisheries decarbonisation, mitigation of bycatch, benthic communities, European eel, sturgeons, piked dogfish, vulnerable species, deep water corals, jellyfish, climate change mitigation and adaptation, non-indigenous species (including blue crabs), MCS, IUU fishing, compliance assessment, fishing vessels, socio-economic impacts, value chains, social protection, recreational fisheries, stakeholder engagement, gender and work plan of scientific advisory bodies.
Tasks and responsibilities

Provide technical inputs towards the implementation of the GFCM Strategy towards the sustainability of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries and achievement of its targets and the provision of advice on fisheries and aquaculture;
Provide technical expertise or advice to monitor, analyze and/or address ecological, biological, economic, market, governance or social issues towards the management and sustainable development of fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea;
Coordinate projects and initiatives supporting fisheries management, including on the above-mentioned specific issues as well as in the context of capacity development work under the Med Sea4

Fish and Black Sea4

Fish projects;
Provide substantial support for the planning and organization of relevant events and activities in relation to the GFCM work programme, including at subregional level;
Provide technical expertise to assess, monitor and address environmental, economic, social, governance and planning aspects of aquaculture, in line with GFCM strategy (e.g. AZA, EMP, Responsible Investment, ADCs), to promote resilient and responsible aquaculture systems;
Provide support to the GFCM CoC and its intersessional activities, including the drafting and editing documents on the implementation status of GFCM recommendations and data submission, MCS measures including control technologies and fight against IUU fishing at regional level;
Provide support to existing and new research programmes, trials at sea, fishing gear selectivity tests, pilot studies and strategic initiatives in support to the development or implementation of data collection systems, standard methodologies, technical standards/guidelines, international instruments, technical innovation, technical reports, publications;
As required, support the implementation of the work plans of the scientific advisory bodies as well as contribute to the process of formulation of scientific advice;
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