LEBANON – Lebanon has entered a new phase in managing its marine resources with the enactment of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, a legislative step aimed at regulating the fisheries sector in line with international standards, enhancing food security and national production, and protecting small-scale artisanal fishing as a key pillar of the sustainability of Lebanon’s marine sector.
The law establishes a legal framework for managing marine resources and investing in aquaculture, enabling a shift from reliance on traditional fishing toward the scientific and sustainable management of fisheries resources. It also opens new opportunities for investment and economic growth within the framework of the blue economy.
The new legislation places particular emphasis on artisanal fishers by regulating their profession, safeguarding their acquired rights, and ensuring the sustainability of their livelihoods. It also strengthens their role in protecting fisheries resources and supporting the development of coastal communities. In addition, it gives fishermen’s cooperatives and unions priority in participating in aquaculture projects and benefiting from their economic returns.
The law designates the Ministry of Agriculture as the unified legal and administrative authority responsible for managing the fisheries and aquaculture sector in both marine and inland waters, strengthening governance, oversight, and sustainable management of the sector.
The law also adopts science-based fisheries management plans grounded in research and studies, with the aim of preserving fish stocks, protecting biodiversity and the marine environment, and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
One of the law’s key provisions is the opening of the marine fish farming sector to Lebanon, which is expected to boost local production, create new investment opportunities, reduce reliance on imported fish, and contribute to food security by making fish products available to consumers at more competitive prices.
The law is based on international practices and standards, including the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as well as standards adopted by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani said that the enactment of the law represents a national achievement that puts Lebanon on the path toward modern fisheries management. He praised the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, the FAO, the GFCM, fishermen’s unions and cooperatives, and parliamentary committees that contributed to drafting and developing the legislation.
The new legislation is expected to mark a key step toward protecting artisanal fishing, preserving the marine environment, boosting national production, and creating new jobs and investment opportunities, supporting sustainable economic and social development in coastal communities.
