Page 12 - Socio-Enviromental Report2017

Socio-Enviromental Report 2017 Fishing 39
Fishing and protection of the marine eco-system

Rio Mare for the fauna and to protect Posidonia
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Aegadian Islands Oceanica, a marine phanerogam
that grows on sandy and rocky
In September 2014, we signed a sea beds creating an underwater
partnership with the Protected habitat offering refuge and WHO WE ARE
Marine Area of the Aegadian food to numerous species. In
Islands (Sicily), the largest addition to acting as a ‘nursery’
protected marine area in Europe and among Italy’s and a means of repopulation for marine fauna,
most uncontaminated. This agreement is aimed at Posidonia helps preventing coastal erosion and
protecting biodiversity and encouraging the sustainable combats climate changes and global warming,
management of the area’s natural resources. We producing 2.5 times more oxygen than that
decided to launch this partnership, primarily for three produced by the Amazonian forests in proportion
reasons: because, as far as we are concerned, supporting to their extension and absorbing large amounts
Protected Marine Areas and protecting biodiversity are of CO . In order to protect this marine area from SUSTAINABILITY
2
strategic activities; because we believe that it is important illegal trawl fishing, anti-trawl concrete blocks,
to protect the beauty of our country and maximize Italian also known as ‘bollards’ are deployed on the sea
excellence; because one of the objectives of the projects bed of the area involved. To protect the entire
implemented in partnership with the Protected Marine area, in addition to the 72 bollards funded by
Area of the Aegadian Islands aims to combat illegal the Ministry of the Environment, we financed the
fishing, which we also oppose in our procurement areas. deployment of an additional 40 bollards. The first
Our collaboration consists in the support and funding of results showed an 80% reduction of illegal trawl
three projects: fishing in the coastal area surrounding the FISHING
Aegadian Islands.
E The MASTER project (Anti-Bottom
Trawl Measures for Protection and
Repopulation) was created to prevent
bottom trawl fishing along the coast of
the Protected Marine Area, to increase fish 12) Phanerogams are marine plants with visible, differentiated PRODUCTION
reproductive organs, enclosed in a flower.

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