Implementation of the GFCM Research programme on Recreational fisheries in Morocco: Marine recreational fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea 1. Background Marine recreational fisheries are an integral part of Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal life and are commonly practiced throughout the region. Anecdotal and case study evidence also point to the significant socio-economic impact of recreational fisheries on coastal communities. However, despite their ubiquity and potential socio-economic contribution, recreational fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region are a data-poor sector. Data collection programmes to monitor their impact are limited and can vary widely from one country to another, thus impairing proper consideration of recreational fisheries in policy-making and undermining efforts towards sustainable fisheries management at the regional level. In 2022, the contracting parties and cooperating non-contracting parties (CPCs) of the GFCM took a step towards sustainably managing recreational fisheries in the region by adopting Recommendation GFCM/45/22/12 on the establishment of a set of minimum rules for sustainable recreational fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea.