Enforcement of the European Union legislation about illegal fishing practices

Title:
Enforcement of the European Union legislation about illegal fishing practices in the eastern Aegean Sea and its impact on Posidonia oceanica meadows (2012).
Authors:
Eirini Ioanna Vlachopoulou, A. Meriwether Wilson, Anastasia Miliou

Abstract:
Posidonia oceanica is a flowering seagrass species, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It  grows  in  depths  of  up  to 50m,  usually  within  1.5  nautical  miles from  the  coastline,  where light intensity is high (M&MS, 2004; Mann, 2000). These seagrass meadows are responsible for the development of multiple commercial fish stocks, such as Serranus spp., Diplodus spp. and Spicara spp.,  which  are  very  important  for the  livelihoods  of  Hellenic  artisanal  fishing communities (UNEP-WCMC, 2006; Batjakas and Economakis, 1999).