The EASTMED project (Scientific and Institutional Cooperation to Support Responsible Fisheries in the Eastern Mediterranean) executed by FAO, will support the development of regionally-consistent fisheries management plans among the Eastern Mediterranean countries. The project’s longer-term development objective is to contribute to the sustainable management of marine fisheries in the Eastern Mediterranean, and thereby to support national economies and protecting the livelihoods of those involved in the fisheries sector. The project’s immediate objective aims is to support and improve the capacity of national fishery departments, to increase their scientific and technical information base for fisheries management and to develop coordinated and participative fisheries management plans in the Eastern Mediterranean sub-region.