Adopted 25 years ago by the International Conference on Responsible Fishing, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries remains the reference for national and international efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) is a voluntary set of global principles, goals and areas for action that is intended to guide developed and developing countries alike in formulating and implementing responsible fisheries management policies and practices.

The Small-Scale Fishers’ Forum or “SSF Forum” is a place for small-scale fishers and fish workers from the Mediterranean and Black Sea region to come together, share knowledge and exchange best practices to build capacity on common issues and jointly identify opportunities and alternative scenarios for their resources management. The GFCM launched the SSF Forum as part of its 10-year Regional Plan of Action for Small-scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, also known as the RPOA-SSF. The RPOA-SSF translates the core philosophy of the SSF Guidelines endorsed by FAO to the specificities of the region. The SSF Forum workshops strongly support capacity development for the wider community involved in the small-scale fishing sector.