What is taking place in the Aeolian sea is a diatribe that has been going on for many years now.

On the one hand there is Clara Rametta, mayor of the Municipality of Malfa , one of the three territories that make up the island of Salina, for which it is urgently necessary to establish a protected marine area while on the other there are the leaders of the Cogepa consortium , which brings together most of the fishermen. For them, the marine area would risk putting an end to fishing activities .

Squid against dolphins in the Aeolian sea

“ In the Aeolian Islands, fishing is scarce. At one point, this summer, not even a squid was found, ”said Rametta . And this is why, according to the mayor, the protected area is needed .

” These claims are absolutely unfounded , ” replied the fishermen . “ The cause of a shortage of fish, especially squid, is due, we suppose, to environmental and cyclical reproduction events, which have now returned to normal. The smaller quantities of squid, moreover, discourage the fishing activity due to the numerous presence of dolphins that frustrate every stroke, so as to realize a loss of well over 75% “.

So,according to Cogepa, the vitality of dolphins would conflict with squid fishing, thus causing damage to the entire fishing system. “ The experimentation of bollards has not produced any results and even represents an additional source of attraction. The presence of the other species in the Aeolian archipelago is undisputed, but there is a limited condition of possible capture which must be carefully examined “.

Marine protected area yes or no

Already in 2017 the fishermen had gone on strike with the declared aim of raising the dolphin problem. At the time, fishermen pointed out that mammals had caused a 60-70% drop in trammel fishing for squid.

But the proposal to establish a protected area has even more distant roots , even in the 1980s. But the information path of aggregation to create the first Promoting Committee for the Marine Protected Area of ​​Salina was started only in August 2020 .

The main objective of the Committee is to raise awareness on the issue of environmental protection , and above all of the fish species that populate the Aeolian sea, including dolphins and sperm whales.

What about fishing?According to the mayor , as can be read in her responses to local newspapers, three fishermen cooperatives have already signed an agreement with the managing body of the protected marine area which provides for ” a series of activities […] for the enhancement of fish products taken with sustainable fishing criteria, with the aim of encouraging sustainable consumption of fishery products “.

” The project ” continues the letter from the mayor ” also foresees the creation of a brand on the local fish with the aim of identifying the fish resource coming from fishermen responsible for the AMP (marine protected area, nda) who follow low-level fishing practices environmental impact“.