ITALY
Traditional ďŹ shers willing to adopt new methods
Artisanal ďŹ sheries can beneďŹ t from certiďŹ cation Small-scale coastal ďŹ shing is widespread in Italy. Strong relationships between ďŹ shers, ďŹ shing areas, and ancient ďŹ shing traditions make it difďŹ cult for ďŹ shers to comply with international standards that, if adopted, could enhance the production and the work of the ďŹ shermen. Nisea, an Italian organisation conducting economic research into ďŹ sheries and aquaculture, has proposed a pilot project to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, to verify the applicability of an international certiďŹ cation scheme.
T
he innovation of the project conducted during 2014 is the applicability of a certification standard to a fishing system that targets only anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus). For small-scale fisheries recognition by an international certification can add strategic value to the product. This is because the product is often placed on the market as salted fish, unlike fish from large-scale production. The applicability of the certification has focused on small-scale fishing using drift nets or menaica that are used to fish for anchovy in the period between March and June in the Cilento area, in the southern part of Campania. Fishing with menaica has a long tradition in the Cilento area with a total of 19 vessels involved. These are small vessels between 6 and 10 m in length. The menaica is used for 20-30 days per year, during a season ranging from 2 to 4 months (from March to June). The nets are 150-350 m in length with a 15-20 m drop and 12-13 mm mesh size. The direct employment is estimated at about 1.5 people per boat (the number varies depending on the abundance of the biomass), the average age of the employees is 48 years and the average age of the vessels is more than 15 years.
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The profitability of the seasonal menaica is significant compared to other gears used by the same shipowners, contributing an estimated 25-30% of the annual income.
Highly selective gear catches only the largest specimens The driftnet, which is left drifting at night, has meshes which allow the capture of large anchovies in the size category 35-40 g (about 30 fish per kilogram). The anchovies caught in the menaica lose a lot of blood as they attempt to break free. The fish are sold fresh or are processed by placing them in salt using an ancient recipe resulting ultimately in a product that is highly valued. The certification is an opportunity for niche products and systems primarily from small-scale fisheries that do not impact the environment or fishery resources. The scarcity of boats and fishing areas certified is due to the strong typicality of the small-scale fisheries. The aim of the project was to analyse the critical points of the international scheme and its grey areas in relation to small scale artisanal fishing. The documentation that needed to be produced by the fishermen was also studied to
There are 19 vessels between 6 and 10 m in length involved in the menaica fisheries in the Cilento area in the southern part of Campania.
ensure that fishermen could flexibly handle the certification procedures. The strength of the results is related to the methodology used to achieve the objectives: the strong collaboration with fishermen who continue to use the menaica. The collaboration was made with the
fishermen of Marina di Pisciotta, Palinuro and Marina di Camerota, the three villages where this artisanal activity is most common. Following the many roundtable and brainstorming sessions the fishermen have expressed an interest in certification by Friend Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2014
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