Overseas
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Sicily fishing ban, in force from 7 August to 5 September in GSA sub-areas 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, is generating far more severe economic consequences than the intended objective of protecting red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) and deep-water rose shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) stocks.
The measure – based on the recommendations of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and on the fishing effort regime established by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) – affects all of the island’s main fishing communities, from Mazara del Vallo to the Siracusa area, and applies exclusively to EU fleets.
Meanwhile, North African vessels, mostly Tunisian, continue to operate in the same areas without any temporary fishing closure, increasing fishing effort precisely during the period in which Sicilian fleets are inactive.
The absence of a Euro-Mediterranean reciprocity agreement is creating a clear competitive imbalance and undermining the overall sustainability of the shrimp resource, effectively cancelling out the long-term effects of the fishing ban.
The situation is further aggravated by a regional measure that requires trawlers operating in GSA16 to observe an additional one-month stoppage in September (except for vessels authorised for oceanic fishing).
According to industry associations, the cumulative impact of these restrictions could result in a production drop of over 30% in 2025, in an already challenging scenario marked by high energy costs, numerous weather-related inactivity days, and continuing difficulties in recruiting qualified maritime workers.
In view of this, Michele Catanzaro, PD group leader at the Sicilian Regional Assembly (ARS), has drawn attention to the consequences of the current regulatory asymmetry, raising the matter with MEP Giuseppe Lupo, who has committed to bringing it before the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee.
The goal is to secure a European initiative introducing a shared fishing ban for all countries involved in deep-sea shrimp fisheries in the Strait of Sicily.
The real critical point is that the Sicily fishing ban – designed as a sustainability measure – is only effective within a multilateral framework.
Without a common rule also binding non-EU fleets, the risk is that EU fishing effort is reduced while other fleets increase theirs, accelerating resource depletion and creating a long-term competitiveness gap.
The Sicilian fishing ban, respected by EU fleets in line with international recommendations, becomes ineffective in the absence of a reciprocity mechanism with North African countries.
A European initiative is urgently needed to introduce shared rules and ensure a balance between stock protection and the economic sustainability of fisheries enterprises.
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