Interactions between fisheries and the marine environment and ecosystems
Marine spatial planning
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Medbycatch project | Understanding Mediterranean multitaxa bycatch of vulnerable species and testing mitigation – a collaborative approach
The ‘Understanding Mediterranean multitaxa bycatch of vulnerable species and testing mitigation – a collaborative approach’ project ran from end 2017 to 2022 with the aim to improve the monitoring and mitigate the incidental capture of vulnerable species in fisheries (also known generically as bycatch), which represents a key conservation and sustainability issue in the Mediterranean for a number of taxonomic groups, namely sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, elasmobranchs and macrobenthic invertebrates. The project had a regional scope while implementing field activities in focus countries in the Mediterranean (Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye, as well as Croatia and Italy from 2020).
OBJECTIVES
- Address knowledge gaps regarding the bycatch of vulnerable species occurring during fishing operations in the Mediterranean through a more systematic and standardized approach to data collection and capacity-building.
- Identify, and support the testing of, mitigation measures to reduce incidental catches and/or mortality of vulnerable species.
- Raise awareness on the issue of bycatch and provide an informed basis for the formulation of national/regional strategies to reduce incidental catches, preserve vulnerable species and support the sustainability of fisheries.
DURATION: 2017 – 2022
FOCUS COUNTRIES: Croatia, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye
PARTNERSHIP: ACCOBAMS, GFCM, SPA/RAC, IUCN-Med, BirdLife, MEDASSET, WWF
RESULTS
- Developed the Monitoring the incidental catch of vulnerable species in Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries: Methodology of data collection, which ensures minimum common standards for the collection of data on vulnerable species and allows for replications and comparisons among fisheries across the region, thus offering a harmonized basis of knowledge, information and evidence for decision-making;
- Implemented monitoring programmes for incidental catch of vulnerable species by means of on-board observations, questionnaires at landing place and self-sampling techniques in Croatia, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia and Türkiye. Thanks to the development of a common data collection methodology, similar monitoring programmes were also established in Cyprus and Greece, in the context of other projects;Identified and tested mitigation measures, including implementation and monitoring of possible methods and tools in identified fisheries and focus countries;
- Published the Review on Incidental Catches of Vulnerable Species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, establishing a baseline for bycatch in the region and identifying existing gaps, an important basis for informing and prioritizing future efforts on bycatch in the region;
- Published a regional Identification guide of vulnerable species incidentally caught in Mediterranean fisheries, as well as pocket subregional versions to support on-board activities and improve the knowledge on the different groups of vulnerable species;
- Translated the Good practice guides on reducing the incidental catch of vulnerable species into seven new languages to increase their dissemination and use among fishers;
- Produced ad-hoc studies on a variety of complementary topics to contribute to tackling the bycatch issue and support the identification of existing, acceptable and applicable solutions;
- Created a Pan-Mediterranean multi-taxa database, containing data on bycatch of vulnerable species in the region, to make data more accessible and inform efforts to address the issue at the regional level;
- Data Analyzed data on the spatial and temporal distribution of incidental catches for the selected fleet segments and related impacts;
- Carried-out capacity-building activities on data collection, identification and handling of vulnerable species, including training of national teams of on-board observers and of fishers on self-sampling methodologies;
- Organized awareness, communication and advocacy initiatives on the impacts of the incidental catch of vulnerable species, informing and influencing policy developments at national and regional levels, leading to a better understanding of the scale of the issues at stake and increased engagement and action.
MATERIAL
- Medbycatch leaflet (AR, EN, FR)
- Methodology for data collection (EN, FR) & related brief & methodological sheets
- Regional review
- Identification guide and related pocket guides
- Good practice guides
DIRECT PARTNERSSteering Committee Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Center (SPA/RAC) of the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan (UN Environment/MAP) International Union for Conservation of Nature – Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) BirdLife Europe and Central Asia (BL ECA) Project Coordinator Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (MEDASSET) World Wildlife Fund (Mediterranean Marine Initiative) Scientific CommitteeJuan-Antonio CAMIÑAS (sea turtles) |
INDIRECT PARTNERS
Association Les Amis des Oiseaux (AAO)/BirdLife Tunisia Sea Turtle Research Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (DEKAMER) Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-Turkey) WWF North Africa (Tunisia) Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli (LIPU) WWF Italy |
KEY CONTACTS
Margherita SESSA
Liaison and programme officer
Paolo CARPENTIERI
Fishery resources monitoring officer
With the financial support of :