The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Fishing, Paola de Castro, has recently announced a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on driftnets, a policy that has also been backed by the Italian Legislative Department.
The new policy means that it is illegal for vessels to carry driftnets, known as 'spadare', onboard. These nets have been prohibited by the EU since 2002.
According to the conservation organisation Oceana, around 100 vessels are still illegally catching swordfish with these nets. Over the last two years Oceana has campaigned aboard the “Oceana Ranger” research catamaran and filmed and photographed the activity of 71 driftnetters. A report has been published on the investigations called 'Italian driftnetters 2006: an Oceana report' which can be downloaded from http://www.oceana.org/index.php?id=811
Oceana is urging the Italian government to make this zero tolerance policy a reality. “An important step has been taken but it must now be put into practice with all its consequences,” said Xavier Pastor, Director of Oceana in Europe.
