In order to solve a problem, you must first recognize it. When 200,000 seabirds are registered annually in Europe, which find their death due to accidental entanglement in nets, fishing lines, etc. and in Greece not a single death was registered, so the problem is not understood. “The reports sent by Greece to the competent European institutions do not report the death of seabirds as a result of accidental capture. Not alone. It is obviously not possible in Greece for seabirds not to be caught and killed in nets etc. For some reason, perhaps an underreporting, they are not claimed.” Danae Portolow underlines in “K”.responsible for conservation programs in its maritime zone Greek Ornithological Society. This is also characteristic of awareness of the situation with endangered species and biodiversity. But there is also a risk that the action plan to combat the impact of fisheries on marine ecosystems, which was recently unveiled by the European Commission, will go unfilled by Member States, including Greece.

“Most of the action plan echoes existing commitments and articulates the right things, but does not provide a concrete assessment of what was done under the previous action plan for 2012, how much was done and why. It does not address issues identified now as in the past, so there are concerns whether it will be implemented by all countries,” says Mrs. Portollow “K.”. “There are no very specific commitments for Member States, which leaves us worried that implementation schedules will later be pushed to the national level,” he adds. In addition, according to Ornithology, the fishing lobby has already managed to delay the publication of the action plan, which was originally planned for 2021, by two years.

“He didn’t go to court”

“Each year, thousands of seabirds, dolphins, sea turtles and other organisms are killed in European seas by being unintentionally entangled in longlines, nets and other gear. And while there are solutions to avoid accidental entanglement, European member states have largely failed to fulfill their obligations, while to date the EU has not taken the proper legal steps to address this critical issue,” notes Ornithology.

The Hellenic Ornithological Society emphasizes the need to implement the Commission’s action plan to address the impact of fisheries on marine ecosystems.

“The Greek seas are home to six species of seabirds, two of which, the Aegean gull and the michos, endemic to the Mediterranean, are endangered worldwide. Accidentally falling into a trap is one of the biggest threats they face. Time is not on the side of marine life, and this new action plan will not bear fruit unless it is accompanied by legal action to hold Member States accountable for its failed implementation,” emphasizes Ornithologist’s Marine Conservation Program Manager. .

Overfishing

Another important point of the national plan concerns the fight against overfishing. “By 2030, areas important for fish reproduction should be identified and serious protection measures should be taken there, such as, for example, a ban on the use of trawlers and towed vehicles. Protecting fish populations is a very important factor for the conservation of biodiversity in the seas and for seabirds,” said Ms Portolow.

Member States have until March 2024 to draw up national roadmaps for the implementation of the action plan. As Ornithologia emphasizes, “but in order for the new action plan not to become another ‘no action plan’, Member States must commit themselves to implementing it quickly and effectively, and the European Commission must publish a scientifically documented assessment of these roadmaps.”

Since it is important to find or summarize, based on the experience of fishermen, simple and functional technical solutions against accidental catching, the Hellenic Ornithological Society, together with partners BirdLife International in the Mediterranean and the Organization for Environment and Climate Change (OFYPEKA), is implementing from 2021 the LIFE PanPuffinus program to conserve Mediterranean and Balearic puffins, two critically endangered pelagic seabirds that have been severely affected by accidental capture. Let’s hope that the finds will be properly used by the authorities.