Vlachopoulou, E. I., Wilson, A.M., Miliou, A. Enforcement of the European Union legislation about illegal fishing practices in the eastern Aegean Sea and its impact on the Posidonia oceanica meadows. The University of Edinburgh, Department of Science and Engineering, School of GeoSciences 2011.

Abstract:

Illegal and destructive fishing practices have significant impact on the Posidonia oceanica meadows of the eastern Aegean Sea. The seagrass beds are essential for the welfare of the coastal communities of the area, as they support main commercial marine species. The majority of the local population are artisanal fishermen and rely on the beds for their fisheries’ catches. The European Union supports the protection of the Posidonia oceanica meadows through its legislation. Additionally, through the Common Fisheries Policy, it attempts to combat illegal fishing practices within its territorial waters. However, in the Greek national waters, illegal fisheries are very common. Trawlers and dynamite fishing cause irreversible damage to the seagrass beds and cause the decline of the fish stocks, pushing the coastal communities to the verge of poverty. This research describes the problem of illegal fisheries in relation with the Posidonia oceanica meadows, analyses the EU legislation on the subject as well as the national legislation and, using qualitative research methods, such as interviews with stakeholders, personal observations and archive research, examines whether the EU legislation is being enforced and suggests solutions. There is minimal, if not at all, enforcement of the EU fisheries legislation in the area and the beds are declining, along with the fish stocks. Radical change is needed in order to address the problem and it should be based upon stakeholder involvement in sustainable management of the resource.