The people along the coast in Tunisia live mainly from fishing. But that’s getting more and more difficult. According to a 2017 study by the European Commission, the Mediterranean has lost 34% of its total fish stocks in the past 50 years. Of the native species left, 93% are currently overfished.
For years, shrimp and other shellfish have been harvested from the seabed using dragnets. But rays, sharks, sea turtles, sponges and corals also ended up in the nets. The Med Bycatch project is trying to find more sustainable fishing methods to protect these endangered species.
Tunisian scientists accompanied fishermen for two years and collected data on what they were catching, including the accidental bycatch. The result is an extensive database that researchers are using to develop recommendations for more sustainable fishing practices throughout the Mediterranean.
Read more:
https://www.dw.com/en/endangered-fish-using-data-to-make-fishing-more-sustainable-in-the-mediterranean/a-59730955