OFFSHORE AND BIG-GAME
FISHERIES IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN
Management issues for sport and
recreational fisheries
by
Antonio Di Natale
A sea where the marine
biodiversity is huge. Coasts where
fishing is a culture.
The Western Mediterranean: a
large area, with many people and
towns. Here the offshore
recreational fishery is a reality.
RECREATIONAL ANGLING:
AN UNKNOWN WORLD - 1
ŽAccording to the available and incomplete
information, the major concentration of sport
and recreational anglers is in Italy, followed
by Spain and France, while no data are
available for Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro,
Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon,
Syria, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria,
Morocco, Malta and Monaco.
ŽThe total number of sport and recreational
anglers might reach about 3,000,000.
ŽThe total numbers of boats and vessels
concerned might be over 200,000.
RECREATIONAL ANGLING:
THE MEDITERRANEAN - 2
ŽThe total economic relevance of this fishery
is suspected to be very high, certainly higher
per single unit (kg or specimen) than the
commercial fishery.
ŽThe business includes the specific leisure
vessels, fuel additional consumption,
equipment, bait and even black sales
ŽA significant portion of this business is not
officially reported and is often included in
the “black market”.
RECREATIONAL ANGLING:
THE MEDITERRANEAN - 3
ŽThis segment of the fishery is
quite obscure and includes
many métiers: tournaments,
fishing for large pelagic
species (big game), trolling,
those occasionally fishing from
leisure vessels, while also the
“non-professional” fishermen
are included.
ŽThis fishery segment is also
“used” by illegal fishermen
(non-professional) engaged in
small scale fisheries.
RECREATIONAL ANGLING:
THE MEDITERRANEAN - 4
ŽNo data are available on the total catch, nor
officially or unofficially, while partial data might
be present for some species and areas. The only
partial recent information is available from
SFITUM, a EC funded project and from the pilot
studies carried out by a few EC countries within
the Reg. CE 1543/2000 framework (data
collection)..
ŽThe licence is requested only in Spain or for
official federation tournaments. No licence is
required in France or Italy, while no information
is available for other countries.
ŽThe only common rule is the prohibition to sell the
fish, but controls are very weak.
OFFSHORE AND BIG GAME FISHERY:
THE MEDITERRANEAN - 5
ŽThe list of species taken in this fishery is
quite large.
ŽThis activity is growing in many places,
creating a big economical interest.
ŽTournaments are growing in number.
ŽIt is necessary to regulate the system in
an homogenous way, valid for all the
Mediterranean Countries.
The Tuna Case
Ž
Every sport fisherman claims about the
commercial fishery by purse seines….
…the illegal fishing, the tuna caging
and the huge pressure by the Japanese
market and even the new ones
Yes, it is true, the situation of the tuna
commercial fishery is creating troubles to
the tuna resource….
ŽThe bluefin tuna quota established by ICCAT for
the Eastern stock (including Atlantic and
Mediterranean) is now 26000 t.
ŽDeclared catches by States (including three
countries objecting the quota) was about 32500 t.
ŽThe real estimated catch is maybe over 50000 t.
60 000 Mediterranean
50 000 East Atlantic
40 000
West Atlantic
30 000
20 000
10 000
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
…but many recreational
fishermen are within this game!
ŽMost of the bluefin tuna catches in number of
specimen are due to the “recreational” fishery,
which often includes non -professional
fishermen, a diplomatic word that covers the
illegal fishermen (IUU)
ŽA very large majority of the bluefin tuna
recreational catches are illegally sold on the
market.
…and the game is often
dirty!
ŽThe largest portion of the catches
obtained by this segment is
related to undersize bluefin tuna.
ŽCatch size for juveniles range
from 200 gr to 10 kg, with the
bulk of the catch between 600 gr
to 2,2 kg.
ŽIt is strongly suspected that the
total number of juvenile
specimens caught every year
should be very relevant and not
so far, in number, from the true
commercial catches.
The most transparent game is
the real big-game!
ŽTrue sport anglers and recreational fishermen
in tournaments usually follows the rules:
juvenile tuna catches are released, large tunas
are declared and reported (sometimes with a
certain proud!), the money coming from the
fishes is often used to cover the organisation
costs or for charity.
ŽThis sector again has an increasing economic
importance.
The regulatory system is complex:
ŽThe European Commission (EC) has a regulatory
role only for the Member States of the European
Union.
ŽThe General Fishery Commission for the
Mediterranean (GFCM) has a regulatory role for
all the coastal States in the Mediterranean and
the Black Sea and for other Countries fishing in
these seas.
The regulatory system is complex:
ŽThe International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) has a
regulatory role for all the Member Countries
fishing for tuna and tuna-like species in the
Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the
Black Sea.
ŽThe National, Regional and Local Authorities
have the role to enforce the international rules
and to eventually adopt stricter local rules when
necessary.
The regulatory system is now
beginning to pay attention to the
recreational and sport fisheries
ŽThe EU had already started to collect
information about these fisheries within the
framework of the Data Collection Programme
(EC Reg. 1543/2000), as well as the ICCAT.
ŽThe EU, the ICCAT and the GFCM are planning
to better regulate the recreational and sport
fisheries in a short time.
ŽThe International and National Federations and
Associations should be conscious and become
active in this system.
The system must be improved!
ŽIt is important to have a more transparent fishery
segment.
ŽNew and common rules must be adopted
(possibly by the GFCM) and enforced.
ŽThe most problematic gears should be prohibited
in the recreational fishery (e.g.: longlines)
ŽThe control must be much more efficient.
ŽThe true recreational fishery must be well defined
and enhanced.
ŽThe illegal fishery must be confined and fixed.
As a matter of fact, a fishery
segment with lights and
shadows, certainly having a
social and economical
relevance, but still needing a
lot of adjustments and some
basic rules.