Red coral (Corallium rubrum) is an emblematic species of the Mediterranean Sea, long valued and harvested in the region for millennia. This slow-growing, sessile animal is exploited for its skeleton, which is used in ornaments and jewelry. Over the past two decades, landings of this species across the Mediterranean have declined and, in some areas, its shallow populations were found nearly depleted.
In light of the high vulnerability of red coral to fishing activities, the GFCM has included red coral in its programme of work for many years, with a focus on defining measures to ensure its sustainable exploitation. Building on this long-standing work, which includes the implementation of a dedicated research programme, the GFCM has adopted, since 2011, a series of recommendations addressing red coral. These include the establishment of a comprehensive multiannual management plan in 2019, subsequently amended in 2024.
Main provisions
- Restriction of allowable harvesting gear to the use of a hammer operated by a scuba diver
- Prohibition of red coral harvesting at depths from 0 m to 50 m, to allow the recovery of shallow-water populations
- Minimum size requirement for harvested colonies, prohibiting the harvest of red coral colonies with a diameter of less than 7 mm, measured within 1 cm from the base of the colony
- Temporary spatial closures to red coral fishing activities when undersized specimens exceed 25 percent of the total catch harvested from a given bank for a given year
- Mandatory recording and submission of data on annual catch, fishing effort, average diameter of colonies, percentage of undersized colonies, depth of harvesting and coral bank origin
- Establishment of daily and/or annual catch limitation systems
- Maintenance of exploitation effort at the levels authorized and applied in recent years
- Measures to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of red coral, including mechanisms to ensure traceability of red coral from landing and sale as a raw material through the retail of finished products
- Strengthening of scientific research and data collection on red coral, including information on biomass, recruitment and mortality, notably through the GFCM Research programme on red coral
Objectives
- Apply the precautionary approach to red coral fisheries management
- Prevent and counteract overfishing with the aim to ensure long-term yields while maintaining red coral populations within biologically sustainable levels
- Adjust exploitation rates and fishing effort to sustainable levels
Resources
Contact
Elisabetta Betulla Morello
Senior Fishery Officer
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