Untitled - CNR

Evaluation of Demersal Resources as EssentialTool for a Long Term Common Fisheries Policy(CFP): the Role of the Scientific ResearchP. Rinelli, T. Bottari, B. Busalacchi, D. Giordano, F. Perdichizzi, A.Perdichizzi, L. Pirrera, A. ProfetaInstitute for Coastal Marine Environment, CNR, Messina, Italypaola.rinelli@iamc.cnr.itAbstractThe Common Fisheries Policy, the European Union’s instrument for the managementof fisheries, was reformed in 2002 to ensure sustainable exploitation of fisheriesstocks. The reform introduced a precautionary long-term approach to protect andconserve living aquatic resources and to minimise the impact of fishing activities onmarine ecosystems. The most part of fish stocks are overexploited; these populationscould increase if fishing pressure decreased for only few years. Fisheries stocks todayare constituted of young and small fish that are mostly caught before they canreproduce. In 2009 the EC published a Green Paper aimed to stimulate a debateon the reform. On this topic, the researchers of IAMC of Messina are involved inseveral national and European projects aimed to the evaluation of the demersal resources.The focal points undertaken are: stocks monitoring by trawl surveys andcommercial landings: two case-studies are reported, the evaluation of Helicolenusdactylopterus dactylopterus and of Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus;gear selectivity: the effect of mesh configuration and mesh size on the codendselectivity of the species A. foliacea and Mullus barbatus have been investigated;nursery areas distribution have been identified using GIS approach; no-taken zonesmonitoring; analysis of demersal assemblages; evaluation of parasitosis effects onichthyic populations and genetic identifications of demersal stocks. A synthesis ofthe main themes treated during last years is reported together with the more interestingresults obtained.1 IntroductionThe Common Fisheries Policy, the EuropeanUnion’s instrument for the managementof fisheries, was reformed in 2002 toensure sustainable exploitation of fisheriesstocks. The reform introduced a precautionarylong-term approach to protect andconserve living aquatic resources and tominimise the impact of fishing activities onmarine ecosystems. The most part of fishstocks are overexploited; these populationscould increase if fishing pressure decreasedfor only few years. Fisheries stocks todayare constituted of young and small fish thatare mostly caught before they can reproduce.In 2009 the European Commissionpublished a Green Paper aimed to stimulatea debate on the reform. The Green Paperreports: “Scientific knowledge and dataare of vital importance to the CFP, because