Lebanon has entered a new phase in the management of its marine resources, after the adoption of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, in a legislative step that the Ministry of Agriculture described as “historic,” establishing a sustainable blue economy and establishing a modern legal framework to regulate the fisheries sector in accordance with the best international standards.
The Ministry of Agriculture said, in a statement, that the law enhances food security, raises national production, and enshrines the protection of small-scale artisanal fishing as the basic foundation for the sustainability of the marine sector. It also gives priority to fishermen’s cooperatives in investing in aquaculture projects, ensuring their direct participation in development and benefiting from the economic opportunities provided by this sector.
She explained that the law constitutes a qualitative shift in the national policy for fisheries management, as it moves Lebanon from the stage of almost complete dependence on traditional fishing to scientific management of marine resources and organized investment in aquaculture, which opens new horizons for economic growth and enhances the sector’s contribution to sustainable development.
She added that the legislation pays special attention to protecting small-scale artisanal fishing, by regulating the practice of the profession, preserving the acquired rights of fishermen, and ensuring the sustainability of their sources of livelihood, in addition to devoting their role in the development of coastal communities, ensuring that they are not harmed by new investment projects, but rather enabling them to be partners in them and beneficiaries of their returns.
The Ministry confirmed that the law establishes a unified legal and administrative reference for the management of the fishing and aquaculture sector in marine and inland waters, in a way that enhances good governance, unifies the references, and raises the level of oversight and sustainable management of the sector.
She pointed out that the law encourages collective investment in aquaculture projects through cooperatives, fishermen’s unions, and local associations, allowing fishermen to directly participate in productive projects and benefit from their returns, and contributes to improving their economic conditions and promoting local development in coastal areas.
She added that the legislation is based on the latest international practices, taking advantage of successful experiences in the management of marine fisheries and aquaculture, and in line with the guidelines issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the standards approved by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), and adopts sustainable management of fish wealth through integrated scientific plans based on studies and research, in a way that preserves fish stocks, biodiversity and the marine environment.
The Ministry pointed out that the law opens, in an unprecedented step, the door for Lebanon to officially enter the marine fish farming sector, after it was the last country on the shore of the Mediterranean not to adopt this production activity, which provides new opportunities for investment, raises local production, reduces dependence on imported fish, and contributes to providing it to the Lebanese consumer at more competitive prices, as well as strengthening the system of governance and control, combating illegal fishing, and creating new job opportunities within the framework of the blue economy and sustainable development.
She stressed that protecting fish wealth and protecting small-scale artisanal fishing are two complementary goals, and that responsible investment in aquaculture will be a lever for the development of the sector, with priority given to fishermen’s cooperatives and unions to directly benefit from the economic opportunities provided by the law.
At the conclusion of the statement, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Nizar Hani, thanked all parties that contributed to the preparation and development of the law, most notably the work teams in the ministry, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), fishermen’s unions and cooperatives, MPs who are members of the parliamentary agriculture and tourism committee, the joint parliamentary committees, and the general body of the House of Representatives, stressing that the passage of the law constitutes a national achievement that puts Lebanon on the path of modern fish wealth management, and opens the door. We are facing a new phase of sustainable investment, which protects artisanal fishing, preserves the marine environment, and enhances the national economy and food security.
