Oceana has submitted a proposal to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean Sea to permanently close key nursery areas in the Strait of Sicily to bottom trawling.
According to the international marine conversation organisation, this measure will contribute to the restoration of unmanaged fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea, where 92% of demersal fish stocks are overexploited.
Lasse Gustavsson, executive director for Oceana in Europe, said: “Protecting nurseries and spawning grounds is the first and most immediate step that needs to be taken in order to safeguard tomorrow’s fish. Only one out of ten stocks in the Mediterranean are fished sustainably.”
He pointed out that closing these areas to fisheries is strongly supported by science and there is no excuse for failing to act, particularly when local communities depend so strongly on these fisheries.
The Strait of Sicily is an area in the Mediterranean Sea that is shared by Italy, Malta, and Tunisia and has been trawled intensively for decades for its valuable deep-water rose shrimp and hake. In recent years, science has identified key areas where juveniles aggregate, which are important for the survival of the stocks.
With this in mind, Oceana will be participating in a stakeholder meeting organised by the FAO project MedSudMed to advocate for a shared multi-annual management plan for the Strait of Sicily.
It will also participate in the GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee in Rome from March 24 to 27, where it will advocate for the protection of the hake and deep-water rose shrimp nurseries.
