We are so pleased to share that on Tuesday October 17th, 2017, at the 41st session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in Montenegro, the GFCM adopted the EU proposal for the establishment of a Fisheries Restricted Area in the Jabuka/Pomo Pit banning demersal fisheries.
The EU proposal, based on the work of MedReAct and the Adriatic Recovery Project, creates three fishing areas in the Pit, one closed to all demersal fisheries (bottom trawling, set longliners, traps) and two others where fishing efforts will be significantly restricted.
”The protection by the GFCM of the Jabuka/Pomo Pit is a milestone decision,” said Domitilla Senni, from MedReAct – “showing that progress can be achieved even in areas heavily exploited by fisheries. We congratulate the GFCM, the EU and all those scientists that have long worked for the recovery of this area and of the Adriatic Sea."
On July 31, 2017 the Clean Adriatic Sea Alliance joined 20 other NGOs urging Commissioner Vella to protect the Jabuka/Pomo Pit.
And recently, more than 200 scientists from universities and research institutes around the world signed an appeal for the protection of the Jabuka/Pomo Pit.
(Find the Press release in Italian or HR: 200 svjetskih znanstvenika: Trajno zabraniti koćarenje u Jabučkoj kotlini)
"We want to thank the teams at MedReAct and the Adriatic Recovery Project for their tireless work to make this milestone decision, one of the first of its kind in the Adriatic, a reality," said Sam Evich, Founder of the Clean Adriatic Sea Alliance.
"To stakeholders of the Adriatic from fisheries to tourism, and all who care about the future of the Adriatic Sea, we thank you for raising your voice in an effort to make this possible."