The Mediterranean’s stock of swordfish is suffering serious threat from illegal overfishing.
The situation is most dire in southern Italy where inadequate control is exercised, leading to fishing boats illegally catching huge quantities of swordfish, according to an internal EU fishery inspectors report.
The investigation found fishing seasons were poorly enforced by Italian authorities and there were very few inspections when vessels docked. Swordfish out of season was seen in local shops and markets and readily available in local restaurants.
“Sanctions for selling Mediterranean swordfish during the closed fishing season, particularly where they were under-sized demonstrated a lack of enforcement and discouragement,” the report noted.
The closed seasons are March, October and November. Fishing at these times is against a legally-binding code agreed in 2011.
But the EU report found that very illegality of fishing out of season allowed the swordfish to retail at inflated prices of up to €30 per kilo, making it a highly lucrative trade.
Conservation groups are calling for limits on catch as well as a recovery plan for the swordfish population similar to the one which rescued the bluefin tuna population from collapse.
