Official European statistics point out that the number of non-European fleets fishing with drift nets has extremely grown, and currently in the Mediterranean there are more than 500 new fishery vessels from third countries using this fishing method.
EU Regulation 1239/98 which prohibits swordfish and tuna fishing with drift nets, under pressure by third countries that consider drift nets a threat to the environment. In Italy, the regulation affected some 676 vessels, almost all registered in the maritime districts in the south of the country.
In order to ban the use of drift nets by the Italian fleet, the Italian fishery authorities agreed, together with environmental organization directors to create a round table to battle the illegal use of drift nets. The round table group began working last week.
The decision to form the round table working group was made after a meeting with local representatives of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace, along with the undersecretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policy, Paolo Scarpa Bonazza Buora, declaring the support of banning the use of this fishery gear.
The official assured that the ministry shares in the “claims made by the WWF and Greenpeace to forbid illegal behavior,†adding that the work table “will help to analyze the situation and pinpoint measures to take towards ensuring respect for international and Italian norms on this issue.â€
The meeting was held after environmental groups denounced a fishery vessel had been discovered last Wednesday night in the Sorrente port, landing swordfish, below the minimum permissible catch size, and caught using illegal netting.
According to ministry statement, Scarpa asserted during the meeting “We are strongly committed to being a watchdog for legality, and rigorous respect for laws prohibiting the use of drift nets.â€