Operation Siso: Protecting the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is the most over-exploited ocean of the world. Over 800,000 tons of fish are caught every year. Decades of excessive fishing and the use of destructive catching devices have resulted in severe habitat degradation and an unimaginable decline of marine wildlife. Today nearly 80% of the Mediterranean Sea life is over fished. The Mediterranean is also a hotspot for illegal unreported and unregulated fishing activities. Vessels engaged in so-called IUU fishing use illegal fishing gear and do not comply with regulations regarding quotas, seasonal fishing periods, areas of fishing or prohibited species. This includes the use of long-banned fishing techniques such as fish aggregating devices, or FADS, as well as driftnets, which were declared illegal by the European Community in 2002. Driftnets inflict such devastation to marine life that they earned the name "walls of death". They can reach a depth of 35 metres or up to 40 kilometers long and can have a mesh size between 10 and 45 centimeters. Targeting mainly pelagic fish species like swordfish and tuna this highly indiscriminate and wasteful fishing method has a high bycatch rate and threatens a large number of other species. In June 2019, Sea Shepherd launched Operation Siso II, tackling the problem of illegal driftnetting in the area of the Aeolian Islands, a UNESCO heritage site since 2000. In collaboration with the Italian maritime authorities the M/V Sam Simon has been patrolling investigating and reporting fishing activities, helping to enforce the law, and working around the clock to remove all illegal fishing devices that were located in the area. Having revealed evidence that illegal driftnets are still being used in the Tyrrhenian Sea, this campaign marks the beginning of a unique operation between Sea Shepherd and the Italian authorities to fight criminal fishing. The Mediterranean Sea is home to more than 10,000 marine species and is the planet's largest epicontinental sea, its waters are home to important feeding and breeding areas for various forms of marine life. However the resilience of the creatures that inhabit its waters is not infinite. With many migratory species passing through, the Aeolian Islands are particularly vulnerable habitat and need to be protected by all means. We are determined to come back and continue our work and use the evidence we found to create a marine protected area around the Aeolian Islands. Unless the threat of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing is stopped entirely the area will soon be deprived of its diverse marine wildlife and the rich local ecosystem will not be able to recover. It's up to us to act now.

Channel: Sea Shepherd

Views: 62,688

Keywords: Sea Shepherd, Marine Conservation, SSCS, Italy, Aeolian Islands, driftnet, illegal fishing, IUU Fishing, biodiversity, Mediterranean Sea

Id: 50ypT007Wuo

Length: 4min 51sec (291 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 18 2019