The WWF is run at a local level by the following offices...
- WWF Global
- Adria
- Argentina
- Armenia
- AsiaPacific
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Borneo
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Caucasus
- Central African Republic
- Central America
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- European Policy Office
- Finland
We work with coastal communities to restore fish stocks and ocean ecosystems, secure sustainable livelihoods, and improve fisheries governance. We do this by promoting gender-inclusive co-management, reducing climate impact, and diversifying jobs for the younger generation
We are failing to effectively manage our finite natural resources, and to protect the coastal communities who depend on them. Climate change, increasing demand for seafood, weak resource management, and geopolitical instabilities drive global overfishing. Despite progress, iIn the Mediterranean, over 70% of assessed fish stocks are still overfished.
Urgent action is needed to conserve and sustainably use our oceans, seas, and marine resources (Sustainable Development Goal 14 -link) to achieve the 2030 Agenda and fully implement the RPOA SSF (link). Balancing habitat conservation with human use is key for successful fisheries management. Empowered small-scale fishers and their communities are crucial stewards of marine resources.
Men and women in the small-scale sector face threats such as climate change, competition from other industries, lack of alternative livelihoods, weak representation in decision-making processes, and limited control over diminishing resources.
The Mediterranean is a vibrant mosaic of landscapes and cultures, deeply influenced by the sea, with diverse and unique fishing sites. Effective governance requires regulations tailored to each site's specific features.
The best way to achieve this is by involving the fishers who understand their local environments better than anyone else. Their in-depth knowledge ensures that management strategies are adapted to the unique needs of each area and its resources.
By empowering small-scale fishers to sustainably manage their resources, we aim to restore the health of Mediterranean fish stocks and secure long-term livelihoods.
We are actively supporting 10 Mediterranean countries in transforming their coastal fisheries management and governance, emphasizing locally-tailored approaches that place small-scale fishers at the center of the solution.
WWF supports a co-management approach that values the contributions of fishers, local authorities and stakeholders. We believe this is the most effective way to restore fish stocks, facilitate an ecological transition including through the decarbonisation of SSF, promote entrepreneurship and ensure better living conditions for Mediterranean fishers and their families.
By strengthening fishing communities through better access to decision-making processes, greater legal and gender representation, including for women and youth, we aim to reverse the trend of years of mismanagement that have fostered non-compliance and unsustainability, leading to overfishing.
Our goal is to extend this approach across the Mediterranean and Black Sea, ensuring fisheries management becomes a participatory system where adaptive decisions are genuinely shared, and environmental awareness is heightened.
- Collaborate with local communities: Build long-term trust by understanding their needs and concerns, and finding ways to support lasting solutions.
- Develop economic alternatives: Create viable market opportunities to improve fishers’ livelihoods.
- Raise Awareness: Enhance society’s understanding of the importance of small-scale fishers, including fisherwomen and young fishers, their products, and their fisheries.
- Promote Sustainable Practices: Support fishers in identifying and adopting sustainable fishing practices such as creating no-take zones, modifying fishing methods, reducing fishing effort and CO2 footprint of fishing vessels, and utilizing fisheries funds (EMFF, EMFAF) effectively to enhance sustainability in the Mediterranean.
- Advocate for Policy Development: Support the creation of new policies that promote and sustain the participatory management approach, including the Regional Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries of GFCM.
WWF is running a major initiative across 30 sites in 10 Mediterranean countries, working with artisanal fishing communities to transform their local fisheries.
We’ve spent years building trust to support long-term partnerships, and this is now paying dividends.
