Sustainable Management of Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean
Summary
Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the Mediterranean are vital for coastal communities, providing employment, nutrition and anchoring cultural identities. They account for a significant share of regional landings yet face chronic stock depletion, fragmented governance and market pressures. Sustainable management seeks to balance ecological and socioeconomic objectives by deploying co-management frameworks, area-based closures and gear innovations. Recent approaches integrate spatially explicit models with local knowledge to delineate priority conservation areas and anticipate the redistribution of fishing effort. Complementary strategies include promoting local consumption through direct sales and certification schemes, reducing bycatch via alternative gears such as pots and modified nets, and aligning policy instruments with ecosystem-based management principles. These efforts aim to safeguard biodiversity, sustain fishery livelihoods and foster resilience under changing environmental and market conditions.
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Sustainable Management of Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable management of small-scale fisheries in the mediterranean across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Small-scale fisheries (SSF): coastal fishing operations typically using low-power vessels and passive gears, integral to local economies and traditions.
Bycatch: non-target species captured during fishing operations, often leading to ecological and economic waste.
Discards: portion of catch returned to the sea, dead or moribund, due to regulatory, economic or logistical reasons.
Trammel net: multi-layered gillnet with an inner fine mesh sandwiched between outer layers of larger mesh, used widely by SSF.
Pots: baited, cage-like gear that traps mobile species, offering greater species and size selectivity and reduced environmental impact.
Area-based management: spatial regulation of fishing effort through closures or zones to protect critical habitats and spawning grounds.
References
- Assessing fish–fishery dynamics from a spatially explicit metapopulation perspective reveals winners and losers in fisheries management. Journal of Applied Ecology (2023).
- A threatened heritage: Sustainable alternatives for Mediterranean small-scale fisheries. Marine Policy (2024).
- Pots as alternative and sustainable fishing gears in the Mediterranean Sea: an overview. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (2021).
- Reducing unwanted catches of trammel nets: experimental results of the “guarding net” in the caramote prawn, Penaeus kerathurus, small-scale fishery of the Ligurian Sea (western Mediterranean). Scientia Marina (2018).
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