ⓒ Ben Dilley
The Issue
Fishing has long been integral to Mediterranean life and is deeply woven into the cultural and economic fabric of coastal communities across the region. Indeed, fishing in the Mediterranean today sustains the livelihoods of approximately 180,000 people and supports a regional industry valued at 4.6 billion euros.
Yet, despite its long-standing role, the Mediterranean’s fisheries are in crisis. In recent decades many commercially targeted species have seen populations decline as a result of overfishing. Meanwhile, pressure on fish stocks is at twice the level that could be considered “sustainable.” This is a concern not only for the functioning of marine ecosystems but for the many local economies that rely on income from coastal fisheries.
A vital instrument for addressing this challenging situation is the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GFCM), which represents 22 member countries and the European Union (EU) and aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Management measures that can be adopted at this level to improve the status of fisheries include establishing fisheries restricted areas (FRAs). Under this designation, certain fishing activities are restricted or banned to conserve habitats and deep-sea ecosystems and to enhance the production of specific fish stocks.
Our Work
In 2018, the nongovernmental organization MedReact proposed a new FRA for the Adriatic Sea in an effort to limit where fishing activities could take place and support the restoration of local fish populations. However, the proposal was initially turned down due to insufficient data on its potential effects on local communities. To address this gap, Global Fishing Watch was asked to provide insights into the distribution and intensity of fishing activity, helping identify where limited restrictions could generate positive outcomes.
Four years later, following its contributions to the GFCM scientific advisory committee, Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries engaged Global Fishing Watch to provide an analysis of fishing activity in the Otranto Channel based on automatic identification system, or AIS, data. This approach clarified where and when fishing vessels, particularly trawlers, were present, and shed light on risks posed to vulnerable marine ecosystems, like deep-water corals.
Global Fishing Watch Mediterranean analyst, Luca Marsaglia, then joined the official stakeholder consultation led by the GFCM. During the consultation, scientific advice was developed using maps of corals and deep-water shrimp distributions alongside data provided by AIS and another tracking technology — vessel monitoring systems — which helps create a more comprehensive picture of fishing activity. This, along with diverse expert recommendations, was then presented at the 2024 GFCM Subregional Committee for the Adriatic Sea. Global Fishing Watch subsequently partnered with Albania to finalize the eastern boundaries of the proposed FRA.
The Otranto Channel FRA was officially adopted at the 47th session of the GFCM in November 2024, after an outline was first shared between EU and non-EU countries. A successful outcome of scientific cooperation between Italy and Albania, the FRA covers a core area of 1,986 square kilometers with a regulated buffer zone close to 700 square kilometers, and it is the 11th FRA designated by the GFCM and its members. Bottom trawling activities will be banned entirely within this core area, which will help protect vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as bamboo coral Isidella elongata. These measures will also help manage and restore the Essential Fish Habitats of demersal species such as deep-water red shrimps.
"Establishing a new fisheries restricted area is a huge step forward for keeping the Adriatic Sea fisheries sustainable as well as protecting its key biodiversity habitats. We're proud to have supported the Albanian Government, and particularly the fisheries department, in mapping out and analyzing the area to understand where this restriction could be best applied. Local context is essential to the success of these management measures and we look forward to continuing our work together over the coming years."
"After a long negotiation process, the Otranto FRA proposal was finally adopted thanks to the efforts of the European Union, Albania and Adriatic experts. We believe that this is a groundbreaking result for the GFCM, but particularly for the Adriatic, one of the most overexploited basins in the world. The establishment of a new marine reserve in the Otranto Channel is a further step towards the creation of a network of FRA in the Adriatic: a model to be replicated in the rest of the Mediterranean region."
