Mediterranean: The Dead Sea
40 minutes, 2004
Ref: 085tvc

Is the Mediterranean being overfished to the point of no return? Are Mediterranean fish becoming an endangered species? On the East coast of Spain, fish catches have dropped to half of what they were 10 years ago. Every year there are fewer fish and fishermen. The alarm has been sounded by scientists and fishermen alike and biologists point out low fish stocks make the sea more vulnerable to pollution. The crisis has not only hit Catalonia; it now affects most Mediterranean countries, especially in the west, where fishing fleets are biggest. Overfishing and the use of driftnets, which are banned in the north, have now spread to countries along the sea's southern shores. Morocco is a case in point. As the fish run out in the north, the fishermen set their sights on southern waters. The driftnets now being used to catch swordfish in the Mediterranean can be miles long, ensnaring many other protected species like sea turtles and dolphins. Just in the Alboran Sea, gateway to the western Mediterranean, driftnets kill between 3,000 and 4,000 dolphins every year. Ironically, the swordfish catch is then sold to the north, where driftnet fishing is illegal. Italy is the country with the biggest fishing fleet in the Mediterranean and things are no better there. The Italian government staunchly opposes EU conservation proposals, arguing they are not in the national interest. We talk to fishermen, researchers, ecologists and government officials in Catalonia, Morroco and Italy to find out what the future holds for fishing in the Mediterranean.