Research Article |
Corresponding author: Hakkı Dereli ( hakkidereli@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Sanja Matić-Skoko
© 2022 Hakkı Dereli, Vahdet Ünal, Anastasia Miliou, Theodoros Tsimpidis, Ifigeneia Trompouki, Zafer Tosunoğlu, Konstantinos Alexopoulos, Aylin Ulman.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Dereli H, Ünal V, Miliou A, Tsimpidis T, Trompouki I, Tosunoğlu Z, Alexopoulos K, Ulman A (2022) Comparison of technical measures in the Aegean Sea to support harmonization of fisheries management policies. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 52(2): 111-123. https://doi.org/10.3897/aiep.52.80083
|
The Aegean Sea features an important archipelago in the Eastern Mediterranean, consisting of 60 inhabited islands, more than 1400 uninhabited islands, about 60–70 commercial marine taxa, along many vulnerable species. Fisheries are mainly coastal and are exploited by Greek and Turkish fishers. The multi-species and multi-gear fisheries operate within each country’s 6-nautical mile territorial sea and in the international waters of the Aegean Sea. As the fisheries resources are currently declining in this region, it is clear that current management initiatives are ineffective and would benefit from a new regime aiming to improve the state of the commercial marine resources. This study offers a comparative analysis of certain fishing gear technical measures applied by Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Identified differences can provide clear and helpful insights for decision-makers for the development of a new and productive management approach in Aegean waters. The fishery regulations were shown to be highly variable, sharing few similarities and stressing many more differences, thus rendering the current management of the shared fish stocks unsustainable. The resources of both states would greatly benefit from the harmonization of management measures focusing on an ecosystem approach to fisheries, and incorporating fishers as stakeholders.
Aegean Sea, co-management, fishing gears, Greece, Turkey
The Aegean Sea, lies in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Turkey, and comprises GSA 22 of the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GCFM). The long coastlines, numerous bays, more than 1450 islands and islets of the area render the Aegean a key fishing region in the Mediterranean. Due to its rich ichthyofauna (449 species for the Turkish coast and 510 species for Hellenic Seas including the Aegean Sea) (
Fisheries in the Eastern Mediterranean are characteristic for targeting multiple species using several different types of gear (from here on multi-species and multi-gear), much like in many other Mediterranean regions (
The gear types most commonly used in the Aegean Sea by Greek and Turkish fisheries are towed and dragged gears (bottom trawl, dredges), static gears (gillnets, trammel nets, longlines, pots, hook and line), and encircling gears (purse seine, small surrounding nets) (
In 2018, 11 580 Greek vessels and 4007 Turkish vessels were operating in the Aegean Sea. Of those, 95% of the Greek vessels and 96.5% of the Turkish vessels were small-scale (
Fisheries in the Aegean Sea are of high importance for both countries in terms of production, food security, and, most importantly, job security and provision in coastal rural areas where alternative employment options are scarce. Around 90% of Greece’s (61 955 t) and 15% of Turkey’s (42 613 t) total wild marine fishery catches in 2018 were provided by fishing activities in the Aegean Sea (
Effective fisheries management measures are essential for maintaining stock renewability and fisheries sustainability. Classically, fishery management is divided into two main typologies of capture control: input and output controls. Input controls regulate fishing effort in some manner (e.g., in number of licenses or maximum vessel lengths). Output controls regulate the amount of the catch being withdrawn from the sea (e.g., in catch composition, commercial minimum landing sizes, quotas) (
Greece, a member of the European Union, the Common Fishery Policy (CFP) and the relevant EU legislations apply, in addition to their National Legislations (NL) (consisting of Royal decrees-RD, Legislative decrees-LD, and Presidential decrees-PD) aim to regulate fishing effort with appropriate technical measures (
Despite regulatory measures enforced in both states, Aegean fisheries have been declining for over two decades, demonstrating that the state of the fisheries has not benefitted under the current management framework. The total annual catches of both Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea follow the exact same trends, increasing with the modernization of their fisheries until efforts were maximized, before catches began to decline; although for Greece, the maximum total catch peaked four years earlier than the Turkish (Fig.
The aim of this study was to highlight the current discrepancies in the national fisheries management measures for Greece and Turkey relating to technical measures in terms of fishing gear regulations and spatial and temporal restrictions of fishing activities. We then suggest that a harmonized fisheries management system in the Aegean Sea would benefit the future of the fisheries in the Aegean Sea.
A literature review of the current fisheries technical regulations was undertaken for both Greece and Turkey. Specifically, the laws that were reviewed for technical comparisons include the relevant EU regulations (Council Regulation EC No. 1967/2006 and Regulation
The revised International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCFG Revision 1) (
Comparisons of technical measures of both countries are presented in Tables
Fisheries with surrounding nets. The information presented in Table
Technical measures for purse seine (PS) (01.1) fisheries in the Aegean Sea.
Parameter | Greece | Turkey |
---|---|---|
Maximum height | 120 m (except tuna purse seine nets) | 164 m (except tuna purse seine nets) |
Minimum depth or distance | Min. distance: 300 m distance | Min. depth: 24 m |
Min. depth: 50 m; 70% of purse seine’s height | ||
100 m min distance from coast line, irrelevant of depth (PD 25/93) | ||
Seasonal prohibition | NL: 15 Dec–28 Feb (for night seines) (PD 25/93) | 15 Apr–31 Aug |
1 Jul–31 Aug (for day seines) (PD 25/93) | ||
Saturdays and those Sundays following full moon (for both day and night seine) (LD 4711/2020 and LD 4691/2020) | ||
Prohibited area | NL: Fishing prohibited in areas closer than 1000 m from entrance to sea farms when they are open for harvest and in areas closer than 500 m measured radially outward from permanent fishing establishments of almadrabas nets (a type of stationary uncovered pound nets) when they operate (PD 25/93). Special spatial prohibitions exist for night seines (PD 23.3/53) | Many spatial prohibitions detailed in fisheries notification |
Light use | NL: use of underwater lights by night seines permitted only while lifting nets | Lighting permitted only above sea level; use of white light prohibited |
Use of artificial light more intense than 2000 lumens (> 133.3 W of incandescent light, or > 33.3 W led light) per drifting lighting unit prohibited (PD 25/93) | Light prohibited in shallow waters less than 30 meters and less than 300 meters from fish farm cages | |
8 additional areas prohibit use of light | ||
Use of more than five drifting lighting units prohibited (PD 25/93) | Only one boat permitted to have light generator; light power up to 100 W does not require permission; total light power of main vessel, auxiliary vessels, and transfer vessel in light fishing allowed areas shall not exceed 8 kW; distance between light boats shall not be closer than 200 m | |
Fishing with drifting lighting units having light emitting lamp uncovered prohibited (light should be only directed at sea) (PD 25/93) |
Fisheries with seine nets. Beach seines (SB) (02.1) are prohibited in all Greek and Turkish waters. Fishing with beach seines above seagrass beds and coralligenous habitats and mäerl beds and in all Natura 2000 sites, all specially protected areas, and all specially protected areas of Mediterranean interest (SPAMI) are prohibited in Greece. Boat seines (SV) (02.2) are prohibited in Turkey. Seine nets can be put in operation only on the basis of a management plan in Greece, but no such plan is in force.
Fisheries with trawls. There are detailed regulations for single boat bottom otter trawlers (OTB) in both countries, which are compared in Table
Technical measures for single boat bottom otter trawls (OTB) (03.12) in the Aegean Sea.
Parameter | Greece | Turkey | |
---|---|---|---|
Minimum mesh size | Codend | 40 mm square mesh or 50 mm diamond mesh | 40 mm square mesh or 44 mm diamond mesh |
Protective bag | 120 mm (if codend mesh smaller than 60 mm) | Mesh size of protective bag must not be smaller than 2 times of codend mesh size | |
Material | Use of netting with twine thickness > 3 mm or with multiple twines; or netting with twine thickness > 6 mm in any part of bottom trawl prohibited | Use of monofilament material prohibited in codend of bottom trawl | |
Use of multiple twines prohibited on any towed net in net and codend | |||
Minimum depth or distance | Beyond 3 nm distance from coastline or beyond 50 m isobath (whichever comes first); in any case, bottom trawl net fishing prohibited at any distance < 1.5 nm from coast, regardless of depth (MD 271/2576/2014, EU Reg. 1967/2006 art. 13: 1 and 2) | Min. depth: 200 m (Area 40.3) | |
Min. distances: | |||
1.5 nm (Areas 40.2; 40.4; 40.6) | |||
2 nm (Area 40.1) | |||
3 nm (Areas 40.5; 40.7; 40.8; 40.9) | |||
Maximum depth | 1000 m | 1000 m | |
Season prohibition | NL: 1 Jun– 30 Sep | 15 Apr– 31 Aug | |
24–31 May | (Trawl fleets can fish in international waters with permission from authorities between 15 Jul and 31 Aug) | ||
24–31 Dec (MD: 271/2576/2014: G.G B 58; par. 9-a) | |||
24 May–15 Jul (for all international waters in Aegean Sea) | |||
16 Jul–30 Sep (in international waters west of 25th meridian in GFCM subregion GSA 22 | |||
Prohibited area | NL: many prohibited areas, mainly gulfs and bays (PD: 739/79, PD: 988/80, PD: 228/2006; PD: 68/2009; MD 271/2576/2014) | Many prohibited areas, mainly gulfs and bays specified in notification |
Fisheries with towed and mechanized dredges. Technical measures for towed dredges (DRB) (04.1) are in force in Greece, but the use of towed dredges is prohibited in the Turkish Aegean fisheries. Two dredge types are used in Hellenic fisheries, one called argaleios, for bivalve mollusks (smooth scallop Flexopecten glaber; brown venus Callista chione and the bearded horse mussel Modiolus barbatus) and another called gagava for sponge-fishing which is a traditional fishing method in the Dodecanese region (southeastern Aegean Sea) (
Fisheries with gillnets and trammel nets. Comparisons of technical measures for gillnets (GNS) and trammel nets (GTR) are presented in Table
Technical measures for set gillnets (anchored) (GNS) (07.1) and trammel nets (GTR) (07.5) in the Aegean Sea.
Parameter | Greece | Turkey |
---|---|---|
Minimum mesh size | 16 mm | 80 mm (for sole and flounder fishing) |
NL: 20 mm (PD 174/2013) | ||
100 mm (for red sea bream fishing); 68 mm (for Solea spp. fishing) (in Alexandroupolis area and within 3 nm from coast) (PD 986/1980); 36 mm (in Thessaloniki and Thermaikos Gulfs) (PD 189/1978); 64 mm (in part of Maliakos Gulf) (PD 338/1980); 40 mm (within 1.5 nm from coasts of Mesolongi Lagoon) (PD 68/2006); 48 mm (for trammel nets) (228/2006); and 56 mm (for trammel nets used in June in Kalimnos–Kos) (228/2006) | ||
Maximum length and height | Max length: 6000 m for gillnets and trammel nets | Max length: 6000 m |
Max height: 10 m for gillnets and 4 m for trammel nets | ||
Material | > 0.5 mm twine thickness prohibited | Monofilament and multi-monofilament nets prohibited |
NL: monofilament nets prohibited (PD: 1094/1977) | ||
Species | Bottom-set nets shall not be used to catch following species: albacore, bluefin tuna, Ray’s bream, swordfish; sharks (Hexanchus griseus, Cetorhinus maximus, Alopiidae, Carcharhinidae, Sphyrnidae, Isuridae, Lamnidae) | Sardines can be caught with gillnets all year round |
Incidental catches of no more than three specimens of shark species pertaining to a certain list of shark species may be retained on board or landed provided that they are not protected species under EU law | ||
NL: European hake (in February) (MD 271/2576, GG Β/58/2014) |
Table
Technical measures for combined gillnets–trammel nets (GTN) (07.6) in the Aegean Sea.
Parameter | Greece | Turkey |
---|---|---|
Maximum length and height | Max. length: 2500 m | Max. length: 6000 m |
Max. height: 10 m | Max. height: 22 m for alamana nets when purse seine nets prohibited | |
Material | Greater than 0.5 mm twine thickness prohibited | Mono and multi monofilament nets prohibited |
Fisheries with pots and fyke nets. Greece has several measures for pots (FPO) (08.2) in the Aegean Sea. Greek regulations include: minimum size regulations of 10 mm for eel fishing, named volkos (RD 805/1968), 56 mm for crustaceans (PD 157/2004), and 40 mm (within 1.5 nm from the coasts of Mesolongi Lagoon) (PD 68/2006); size restrictions of: Diameter < 1 m, height < 50 cm, opening > 13 cm diameter (for fish cylindrical traps), and length and width restrictions of < 80 cm, height < 45 cm (for crustacean traps) (PD 157/2004), with a maximum number of 250 pots and a minimum depth of 10 m (PD 157/2004, GG A/126/2004). Greece has a 10 m minimum depth measure (PD 157/2004, GG A/126/2004) for fyke nets (FYK) (08.3), while Turkey only prohibits their use for white grouper fishing.
Fisheries with longline. For set longlines (LLS) (09.31), Greece has much more advanced regulations than Turkey in the Aegean Sea. In Greece, there is a minimum hook length of 3.95 cm, and width of 1.65 cm (the latter only applicable for sea bream, Pagellus bogaraveo), there are maximum hook numbers: 1000 hooks per person onboard, 5000 hooks per vessel, 7000 hooks per vessel (for vessels fishing more than 3 days), while vessels fishing more than two days can have an equivalent number of spare hooks on board (for surface-set longlines), and there are two prohibited geographic areas, mainly closed bays (PD 435/70, PD 189/78). In the Turkish Aegean Sea, there is a minimum hook width (Turkish ağız açıklığı) of 0.72 cm, longlines must be marked using a signal flag (buoy) during the day and lighted buoy at night, and the license number of the fishing vessel must be visibly displayed on the buoy or gear at the surface. It is obligatory to show information (on the buoy or in a visible place of the gear) indicating the license code number of the fishing vessel to which it belongs.
For drifting longline (LLD) (09.32) regulations, both countries apply highly different measures. Greece applies maximum hook numbers (2500 hooks per vessel for swordfish fishing, 5000 hooks per vessel for albacore fishing, and 2000 hooks per vessel for bluefin tuna), with a maximum 70 km main line length measure, and prohibits swordfish fishing in December by Ministerial Decision No. 3265/60504/2018 (
Fisheries with harpoons, spear guns, and diving. Comparisons of technical measures for harpoons (HAR) (10.1), hand implements (MHI) (10.2), and diving (MDV) (10.8) are presented in Table
Technical measures for harpoons and spearfishing (HAR) (10.1), hand implements (MHI) (10.2), and diving (MDV) (10.8) in the Aegean Sea.
Parameter | Greece | Turkey |
---|---|---|
Season prohibition | NL: 1 Jun–31 Oct (for bait collection) | 1 Jun–31 Oct (for sea cucumbers) |
1 Jan–31 Mar (for coral fishing) (PD 324/194) | 15 Apr–31 Aug (for Donax trunculus) | |
1 May–31 Oct (for sea cucumbers) (PD 48/2018) | ||
Soak time | Spear-guns prohibited with scuba gear and at night (PD: 471/1978) | Divers prohibited from sunset to dawn for sea cucumbers |
NL: Divers prohibited to fish for mollusks at night | Commercial fishing for fish using SCUBA, nargile (surface supplied air diving operation), mask, snorkel and spearguns forbidden | |
Species | NL: Scuba divers and rebreather systems permitted only for mollusk, sponges, and coral fishing but must operate in pairs (PD: 324/94, PD: 86/98) | Special certificates needed to hunt species other than fish by diving |
Octopus cannot be hunted using scuba, nargile, or any artificial air source | ||
Sponge, Donax trunculus and sea cucumbers (latter only in certain areas) can be caught by diving |
The only similarities found between the two sets of management measures of both states include the following: the prohibition of using driftnets, mid-water pelagic trawls, beam trawls, spearfishing, beach seine, mechanized dredges, otter trawl fishing during summer months and in water deeper than 1000 m, and monofilament materials in gillnet fishing, gillnets longer than 6000 m, lights by skin divers during nocturnal hunting, and the adoption of the minimum 40 mm square mesh codend opening.
As shown in the following paragraph, from the comparison of the national regulations of the two countries regarding certain gear types, many highly diverse technical measures were shown, the most striking of which relate to the complete ban of certain fishing gear types in one country, and not the other, and also maximum net lengths and maximum number of hooks in one country and not the other.
The use of towed dredges is permitted in the Greek Aegean fisheries, while prohibited under Turkish regulations. Otter trawling in Greece is prohibited within a 3 nm minimum distance from the coast or within the 50 m isobath where that depth is reached at a shorter distance. While according to the respective Turkish regulation for the Aegean, the distance determination varies between 200 m (for a very small area), to 1.5 nm, 2 nm, and 3 nm. In both states the overall cumulative timespan for seasonal closures is roughly the same, amounting to approximately 4.5 months; however, the exact time periods do not coincide. Specifically, Greek bottom trawlers are prohibited from fishing from 1 June through 30 September, with additional temporal restrictions from 24 December through 31 December and 24 May through 31 May, while in Turkey trawling is prohibited from 15 April through 31 August. Greek bottom trawlers fish in international waters after issuance from a relevant fishing authorization which is valid for one year. The authorization determines the exact geographical sub-area of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) where fishing is permitted, the targeted species and the gear to be used. The use of the authorization is prohibited in GSA 22 from 24 May through 15 July and west of the 25th meridian of GSA 22 from 16 July through 1 October (
In Greece, day and night purse seine maximum net lengths are set at 800 m and the minimum mesh size at 14 mm according to the EU regulation. Turkey, on the other hand, has not yet adopted any such rules on the subject. For purse seine, there are seasonal prohibition differences. Consequently, some key species can be targeted during their reproductive seasons in one of the littoral states, while the other protects this period under diverging regulations; for example, according to Greek legislation, the use of the night purse seine is prohibited during the winter period (15 December–28 February), in order to protect sardine spawning stocks, but catch anchovy in their spawning season in summer (
Gillnets and trammel nets used by Greek vessels must have a minimum mesh size of 20 mm; with the exception of gillnets targeting Atherina boyeri which have a minimum mesh size of 16 mm, and 68 mm for common sole (Solea solea) and European flounder (Platichthys flesus), in addition to several other regulations according to species and regions detailed in Table
The use of pots has many Greek restrictions such as the maximum number of pots, while Turkey only prohibits their use for white grouper. However, fish pots are used for targeting groupers (Epinephelus spp.) in the Dodecanese region (southeastern Aegean Sea) by Greek vessels (
The use of set longlines is better regulated in Greece where provisions are made for minimum hook width and the maximum number of hooks, in relation to the species targeted. There is a huge difference between the minimum hook width sizes, of 3.95 cm in Greece, and 0.72 cm in Turkey generally, however for set longlines, Turkey has the same 3.95 cm min. hook width size as Greece but does not impose any regulations for the maximum number of hooks.
The use of drifting longlines is regulated in more detail in Greece compared to Turkey, the latter which has no maximum number of hooks nor maximum total longline length prescribed, with only an implementation for a 2.8 cm minimum hook width regulation for swordfish. This presents another huge disparity, with Greek fishers only permitted to have 5000 hooks per fisher, with Turkish fishers unregulated in this regard.
With scuba diving, all mollusks, sponges and coral can be collected in Greece (except for at night), while only Donax trunculus and sea cucumbers can be collected in Turkey, since the catch of fish and octopus with the use of scuba is prohibited, and sponge and corals are nationally protected. For hand-held gears, Greece has maximum size and minimum distance measures for mollusk fishing, whereas Turkey has minimum mesh sizes applied to sieves used for the grooved carpet shell, Ruditapes decussatus, and warty venus, Venus verrucosa, fishing.
For special habitats, Greece prohibits the use of purse seining, bottom otter trawls, dredging, beach and boat seining above seagrass beds and in some special habitats (in all Natura 2000 sites, all specially protected areas and all specially protected areas of Mediterranean interest-SPAMI) under EU legislation. Also, bottom otter trawling, beach seining, and dredging are prohibited above coralligenous habitats, and mäerl beds in Greece. While in Turkey, industrial fishing is also prohibited in several special habitats such as Posidonia beds, coralligenous habitats and mäerl beds, and both beach and boat seine are already prohibited in the Aegean Sea to protect the benthic habitat, indirectly compensating their lack of more specific habitat protection, such as Natura 2000 sites, which are to be implemented in the near future.
The different mesh size regulations and hook length and width features of the two countries have highly different selectivities which diversely affect the marine resources, and such discrepancies can further negatively affect juveniles in areas where the regulations are more relaxed or non-existent.
This study highlights numerous differences and fewer similarities existing in the technical measures of the two fishing states in the Aegean Sea which undermines the efficacy of either state to improve the overall state of fisheries. Even though Greece and Turkey apply a few similar technical measures, the many more differences detected after comparing the technical measures applied to fisheries in the two countries, pose particular (and even divergent) hurdles to the overall sustainable management goal of the shared commercial fish stocks of the Aegean Sea which compromise current management goals. As the small-scale fishers are already a highly marginalized group, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, imposing more regulations on them towards harmonization of measures will not be favourable for many, but are of extreme importance in securing a viable future for this sector, which is currently at high risk of being compromised.
The declining state of the Aegean fisheries clearly reveals the ineffectiveness of the current management system, heavily based on technical measures, and rarely incorporating scientific advice into decision-making (
Fisheries management in the Mediterranean would benefit from incorporating in-depth expert fishing knowledge of fishers in the decision-making processes at regional, national and international levels (Bilgin unpublished
About 78% of assessed Mediterranean and the Black Sea stocks are currently fished beyond sustainable levels, although the situation has slightly improved since 2014 (from 88%). In terms of trends, many priority species in the Mediterranean, especially sardines, show an increase in negative exploitation rate in recent years (
There are too many fishers chasing around a reduced amount of fish, and their combined effort and technological sophistication level is much too high in the region. Greece adopted, in accordance with EU Reg. 1380/2013, a multiannual Operational Programme for Fisheries and Sea (2014–2020), currently under review prior to implementation for the period 2021–2027, on the basis that the total number of fishing vessels has substantially decreased. In addition, Greece granted financial de minimis aid to commercial vessel owners (up to €25 000) for the withdrawal of boat seines (SB) (MD 145/296596/202 GG Vol. Β no. 4680 (2020) implementing EU Reg. 717/2014. Turkey practiced five fisheries buy-back programs and withdrew 1253 vessels longer than 10 m from their entire fleet between 2013 and 2018 (
For Greek Aegean fish stocks, a new stock assessment method- AMSY (Abundance Maximum Sustainable Yield) tested abundance trends from scientific assessments both for commercial and non-commercial species (
Some management measures are designed to work congruently with other measures for efficacy, especially that of minimum mesh size requirements for fishing nets, and ‘Minimum Conservation Reference Size’ (commonly used in the EU) or ‘Minimum Landing Sizes’ (MLS, commonly used elsewhere) for regulated species. The goals of both these measures are to protect juvenile fish so they can at least spawn once, and to catch the species at an optimum size. The minimum fish sizes are normally scientifically based on the female minimum length of maturity (Lmat). In a study on Turkish MLS sizes, it was found that several of the MLS sizes are prescribed at sizes much lower than the Lmat (
Currently, both countries are members of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and are responsible for implementing the GFCM’s rules. GFCM membership is an advantage for the sustainability of the living marine resources of both countries. European Union (EU) legislation, the other common denominator between the two countries, is fully implemented in the member country Greece, and not yet applied to Turkey. However, some progress pertaining to harmonization provides hope that the discrepancies may be resolved. For instance, the recent report (
For the Mediterranean Sea, the key forum is the Barcelona Convention (BC), of which both Greece and Turkey are contracting parties. The Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention developed a set of ecological objectives, operational objectives, and indicators, which reflect Mediterranean priorities and are also coherent with the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (2008/56/EC) (
Accompanying the MSFD was a set of criteria and standards to assist the implementation of the plan, which were revised in 2017 with the new Commission Decision on Good Environmental Status. Annex III is of special interest here, which was also amended in 2017 to better link ecosystem components, anthropogenic pressures, and marine environmental impacts with 11 descriptors. A 2020 report on the first implementation of the MSFD showed that although highly ambitious, the framework can be improved to tackle the main issues such as overfishing. The EU-funded Capacity Building on Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Turkey Project (MARinTURK) supports the possible adoption and implementation of the MSFD in the near future. As part of the initial assessment, the economic and social analysis of the different marine water uses has been completed.
The parties are signatory to the overarching BC goal of protecting the marine environment of the Mediterranean by boosting regional and national plans, which now includes 104 protected and 79 endangered species inhabiting the Aegean Sea. The most threatened groups are the largest species, which are crucial in their contributions to ecosystem regulation and control, namely the top-tiered sharks, rays, fishes, and mammals (
In 2008, Turkey completed an institutional twinning program to support the country’s legal and institutional alignment to the EU acquis for fisheries policy during their candidacy process (
The main issue is that the very important Aegean Sea fisheries are severely threatened and require drastic new measures if they are to remain a viable activity into the future. Ecosystems are now understood to represent the correct scale within which scientific knowledge and the management of renewable resources should be based on. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) offers a long-term vision for the management of marine biodiversity: sustainable exploitation of resources while respecting the marine ecosystem (
Another management suggestion applicable to ecoregions such as the Aegean Sea is that they be managed by using conservation targets such as sensitive habitat types including Posidonia oceanica, coralligenous formations, and marine cave habitats, which better represent the functional diversity of the area and can improve ecosystem resilience in the face of heightened environmental change (
As stated in
Under the Common Fisheries Policy, fisheries management regulations including technical measures, catch quotas, managing fleet capacity, market rules and support for fisheries and coastal communities are prescribed (