Sea Shepherd and the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund joined forces to tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in Italy’s Aeolian Archipelago. Sea Shepherd’s vessel ‘Sam Simon’ together with Lipari’s Coast Guard, Milazzo’s Revenue and Customs Authorities, and with the collaboration of artisanal fishermen, confiscated 52 Fishing Aggregating Devices (FADs) and 100 km of polypropylene line in the Aeolian Islands in 178 hours.
The Sam Simon carried out an undercover operation in the South Tyrrhenian Sea in collaboration with the Maritime Management Port Authority of Catania, Lipari Coast Guard, and the Italian Revenue and Custom Authorities Milazzo. In addition to the ‘Sam Simon’, a second undercover vessel is also present in the Aeolian Islands to report any illegal activities to the authorities.
It is estimated that more than 1,500 FADs are illegally anchored each year, which is a key contributor to plastic pollution in the Italian Sea, and lethal for marine species, such as Loggerhead sea turtles, that can become entangled during migration. This results in 2,000km of polypropylene line, and hundreds of kilos of plastic and bottles (often dirty and containing harmful chemical liquids) being dropped in the sea.
The Aeolian Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, and form an archipelago of seven inhabited islands, and several smaller islands and rocky outcrops. The seven islands are located in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, north of Sicily – just 12 nm from Milazzo Cape and their rich biodiversity provides a perfect environment for the nesting of many migratory species.
The illegal FADs, which are locally called “cannizzi”, are fixed buoys to which palm branches or similar materials are attached to form a sort of shelter under which high-seas fish gather. Considered a threat to both life in the Mediterranean and to local, legal fishing, they are illegal in the Aeolian waters at this time of the year, and have to be regulated when the season starts.
In response, Sea Shepherd’s Operation SISO is focusing on protecting the ecosystem of the Aeolian Islands from illegal fishing. It also shows the world the actual consequences of the use of FADs in the South Tyrrhenian Sea, and has earned the support of Lipari’s artisanal fishermen.
Siso was a young Sperm Whale (8.5 metres long) that died in 2017 entangled in a drift net during his migration close to the Aeolian Islands. The Coast Guard struggled to free him for many hours but he could not be saved.
With Operation SISO, Sea Shepherd returns to the Mediterranean Sea to protect cetaceans. A sperm whale came to visit us during the patrol along with numerous dolphins and turtles, almost to show us the way to the FADs, and fighting with us against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
…noted Campaign Leader Andrea Morello.
The Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund is a foundation dedicated to the protection of the Aeolian Islands’ natural beauty and to the promotion of sustainable tourism. The fund supports projects focused on preserving the environment and the sea around the islands.
