BlackSea4Fish Coordination Meeting Hosted by Mersin University Faculty of Fisheries

The coordination meeting for the BlackSea4Fish (BS4F) Program—an initiative under the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)—was hosted by the Faculty of Fisheries at Mersin University from October 13–15, 2026. During the meeting, which focused on efforts to promote sustainable fisheries in the Black Sea, the program’s international team of experts convened to discuss activities and priorities for the 2026–2027 period.

Chaired by Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Özbilgin—Head of the Department of Catching and Processing Technology at our faculty and Coordinator of the BlackSea4Fish Program—the meeting addressed a range of initiatives, including scientific research conducted across Black Sea nations, the collection of fisheries data, stock assessment, marine research expeditions, fisheries management, the protection of sensitive species, and support for small-scale fisheries. Particular emphasis was placed on planning and coordinating research on species of significant importance to Black Sea fisheries—such as turbot, anchovy, sea snails, and spiny dogfish—as well as fostering technical cooperation between countries, providing expert training, and building capacity.

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is a regional fisheries management organization operating under the FAO, dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The BlackSea4Fish Programme, implemented by the GFCM, aims to enhance the scientific and technical capacities of countries bordering the Black Sea, strengthen cooperation among them, and support fisheries management based on scientific data. A publication titled BlackSea4Fish – Activities and Achievements 2024–2025, which summarizes the activities carried out and the outcomes achieved during the 2024–2025 period of the programme—coordinated by our faculty member Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Özbilgin—was released by the FAO in October 2026. The publication can be accessed via the [official FAO publications archive](https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/ce0717en).