£8 million appliance of science to overfishing in Europe

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; give him a scientifically sustainable way of fishing and he will transform the future of our over-exploited oceans!

That’s the thinking behind a new £8 million drive, involving LJMU, to let science better manage how fishing operates in Europe’s most important sea – the Mediterranean.

“Without a re-think of fisheries management practices, the Mediterranean is heading to irreversible depletion,” asserts Stefano Mariani, professor of marine conservation at the Liverpool Research Institute for Climate and Sustainability, a key player in the project.

Currently, just over half of assessed fish populations are overfished and threats are mounting, according to the FAO in Italy which says the Med produces about 2.06 million tonnes of food a year, supporting 1.17 million jobs.

Incidental catch of vulnerable species like sharks and sea turtles is also a grave problem.

'More careful management'

With the UN reporting that more careful management is easing such problems, a new  Horizon Europe project - SEA4FUTURE – is underway involving universities, research institutes, NGOs, SMEs and a fishers’ cooperative.

Coordinated by the University of Alicante, the project brings together 22 partners from Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France, Germany, Türkiye, Egypt and the United Kingdom.

It aims to place fishers “at the heart of innovation, turning them into active data collectors, co-designers of new fishing gears and co-managers of local measures.”

There will be at-sea trials of more selective trawls and nets, and bycatch reduction devices for sharks, rays, sea turtles and dolphins.

Endangered species

LJMU’s role centres on involving fishers in eDNA and genomics surveys, as Professor Mariani explained: “We are tasked to analyse DNA from samples collected onboard fishing vessels, monitor the diversity of catches and of habitats where fishers operate, and consider how that all impacts on endangered species that should be protected.  We’ll also look out for invasive species.

“All of these data will feed into socio-ecological models to improve management.

Technical innovations will be paired with decision-support models that allow scientists, decision makers and fishers to test management scenarios together.

The project team says: “By combining science, technology and the experience of those who work at sea every day, SEA4FUTURE aims to demonstrate that Mediterranean fisheries can be both a driver of local livelihoods and a guardian of marine biodiversity.

Added Professor Mariani: “SEA4FUTURE will test and choose the best ways to preserve biodiversity and reduce impacts on vulnerable species and habitats. This can only be done when researchers, policy-makers, fishermen and seafood distributors operate in synergy."

SEA4FUTURE is funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under the Horizon Europe Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, SEA4FUTURE will run for 48 months, and is backed by €7.99 million in EU funds.
Professor Stefano Mariani is a pioneer of the use of Environmental DNA (eDNA) to survey marine species.