The western Mediterranean basin is a high marine biodiversity area under severe pressure by changing climate and intense human activities. Beyond national jurisdictions, international institutions such as the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) work towards canalizing a regional consensus that fishing practices should evolve to better support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this context, Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRA) are proposed as effective management measures to contribute towards increasing fisheries sustainability in the region that can be considered, under some conditions, as Nature-based Solutions (NbS); however, how to operationalize their framework remains unclear. In this study, based on combined ecological and fisheries criteria, we identify and prioritize six potential priority areas for management (PAMs) in the western Mediterranean Sea. They are specifically aimed at the protection and recovery of Essential Fish Habitats and the conservation of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, whilst requiring limited adaptation of fisheries practices due to their relative low fishing pressure. We compare the identified areas to those that are currently under protection, and to areas that have been proposed for protection at the GFCM. Our results show that the FRAs and other spatial management measures introduced in the last years marginally contribute to the protection PAMs in the western Mediterranean region. However, the adoption of FRAs that are currently under discussion at the GFCM could contribute significantly to improve the situation. FRAs could also contribute to operationalize NbS in the western Mediterranean Sea when properly designed and implemented.HighlightsBased on combined ecological and fisheries criteria, six priority areas for management (PAMs) in the western Mediterranean Sea have being identified, with multiple ecological values and relative low trawling.Current spatial management measures implemented have little contribution on PAMs protection.Fisheries Restricted Areas currently under discussion at the GFCM can significantly increase the protection level of high priority PAMs.

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