CIHEAM Press Review

Speaking at the Our Ocean Conference in Athens, he said the country would become the first to bring an end to the damaging fishing practice in these protected areas. It will be banned in Greece’s three national marine parks - one of which is the largest in the East Mediterranean Sea - by 2026 with the rest following before the end of the decade.

From the Greco-Persian and Punic Wars of Antiquity to the Mediterranean Campaign (1940-1945), not to mention the Battle of Lepanto (1571), the Mediterranean Sea has, throughout history, been the scene of conflict and tension between coastal civilisations and empires. A commercial and cultural crossroads, it is the regional basin where, since time immemorial, varied cultures, agricultural crops, religions and political regimes have rubbed shoulders, envied one another and competed with each other… From a natural frontier, the sea nevertheless quickly became a maritime roadway and a link between nations. Exchanges of knowledge, goods and know-how were able to cross borders via the sea to spread throughout the region. The search for sea routes gave rise to maritime trade and developed the beginnings of international commerce.

Aiming to expand the market for algae-based ingredients and food solutions across France, the algae processor and marketing specialist Vinpai signed a partnership agreement with Adetis, an organic ingredient distributor, earlier this week.

At the start of the 20th century, dozens of families from Ulcinj in Montenegro emigrated to Durres, where their seafaring traditions helped develop Albania’s commercial fleets.

he Mediterranean Sea is home to more than 750 exotic species. Some have adverse ecological effects, like lionfish and blue crabs, but are also edible and even tasty.
Observers often argue that eating invasive marine species is the best way to deal with them, but some scientists warn that this doesn’t always offer a straightforward solution.
Setting up targeted fisheries to control marine invaders involves balancing many considerations: fishers’ interests, markets, government policy and conservation.
Even so, harvesting and serving marine invasive species has immense power to raise awareness about them.

If carefully managed, rising rates of desalination may not harm the region’s marine ecosystems.

More than 2 billion people live in “water stressed” countries. These are territories where more than 25% of the available freshwater resources are withdrawn for human use each year.

Desalination – the process of removing salt from seawater – is increasingly being used to tackle water scarcity worldwide. Roughly 16,000 desalination plants now produce 35 trillion litres of freshwater annually. And Jordan, a country located north of the Red Sea, is planning a major desalination plant on the Gulf of Aqaba that will increase its desalination capacity from 4 billion to 350 billion litres each year.

The European Commission is preparing a plan to accelerate the ecological transition of the bloc's fisheries and decarbonise the sector as it deals with the current energy crisis.

Recently we took an in-depth look at the lack of uptake of tuna farming technology in the Mediterranean region, and what we found inspired us to investigate whether there is a commonality between the depressing status of closed-cycle tuna farming in Europe and the status of fish farming in the European Union (EU) in general.

Based in southwest France, Scale – the company behind the invention – was founded by Erik de Laurens, a former architectural designer, who would like to see it used in a range of applications – from furniture to feature walls – once he has succeeded in producing it on a commercial scale.

A new podcast aims to discuss health and wellness challenges the commercial fishing community faces and explore solutions for limiting risk in the industry. The Fishing Forward Podcast is a collaboration between the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC) and Coastal Routes Radio at the University of Guelph, as well as several other partners.

Marine biologists have long marvelled at the resilience of Red Sea coral to withstand rising temperatures. New initiatives have been drafted to utilise their strength as a way to protect aquatic environments across the region and the world

The government imposed a ban on fishing for sea urchins in the Marmara Sea this week due to concerns about the species becoming endangered amid overfishing.
The General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Monday announced the ban on hunting the urchins, which are among the few organisms that help keep invasive algae in check, serving as the "cleaner" of seas. The ban will officially start next Monday.

Divers are upset and worried for their safety after a ban on all forms of fishing around shipwreck sites was overturned just weeks after it was first announced.
A notice to mariners issued on November 16 banned all boats from conservation areas, specifically mentioning that fishing with lines must be outside such areas.
But, two weeks later, on December 1, a new notice to mariners lifted the ban.

In low-income countries across the tropics, research estimates approach 10% to 12% loss of seafood nutrients per degree of global warming.

The average temperature in Türkiye’s Aegean region is forecast to rise by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the next 10 years, according to recent research conducted by two associate professors in universities from Bursa and Izmir.

Extreme weather across Europe could extend into autumn spurred by record-high sea temperatures.

A deadly epidemic that is spreading through the Red Sea has killed off an entire species of sea urchin in the Gulf of Aqaba, imperilling the region's uniquely resilient coral reefs, an Israeli research team has found, Reuters reports.

‘Application being reconsidered since we believe pristine marine zones should be protected’

The Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources indicated in a press statement Wednesday that coastal protection had been implemented along 45 kilometers, and that work is underway along another 11 kilometers in the Mediterranean.

Egypt’s "Nile Delta is one of the most threatened areas by climate," said Former Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Atty in a statement in April.

A decade ago, Tunisian fisherman, Ahmed Chelli's nets bulged with fish and octopus that he sold at the local market in the Kerkennah islands. Today, he pulls up only "Isis" — the name locals have given to the blue crabs that have invaded their fishing grounds in the fast-warming waters of the Mediterranean.

Lebanon's fishermen and diners are changing their habits as the warming waters of the Mediterranean and new predators drive away familiar species of fish.

Flora and fauna could be harmed long-term as heatwaves increase in frequency and intensity, even as temperatures drop across the country over the next few days

Egypt’s summer season in Sahel (the North Coast) has not gone as intended for certain beachgoers as those who expected white sands and crystalline waters witnessed turbidity – thick, cloudy waters – and coastal erosion in the form of large rocks across shorelines, as confirmed by a press release published by the Egyptian Environment Ministry […]

Scuba divers and salt farmers are at loggerheads over the right to access parts of Gozo’s north coast ahead of a key season for both industries that are crucial to the island’s economy.