SLOW FISH - PROTECTED MARINE AREAS NEED A NEW TYPE OF GOVERNANCE ACCORDING TO SLOW FOOD AND WWF ITALY

Protected marine areas could be an instrument used to contrast the reduction of fish, to maintain and conserve biodiversity and the protection of the territory.

Presently in Italy, however, analyses made by scientific (Italian Marine Biology Society, Italian Association of Oceanography and Limnology) and environmental (Wwf) organizations of the 26 protected marine areas, have demonstrated problems and contradictions.
Primary problems: lack of clarity in the pursuit of scientific goals for conservation and education that are represented in the guidelines defined by the law instituted in 1982. A positive guideline that, however, interpreted within local realities, is often blocked by bureaucracy, small political dilemmas, conflict of interests between stakeholders, especially fishermen, hotel owners, and tourist agencies. One of the requests made by the IUCN (World Conservation Union) is the institution of protected marine areas in the high seas, in particular, the institution of a sanctuary for biodiversity in the Sicily channel.

And at the Slow Fish event held recently in Genoa a message was launched by Silvio Greco (Director of ICRAM and president of the Slow Fish scientific committee), Antonio Canu (Scientific director of Oasi WWF Italy), Michael De Alessi (professor of Microeconomics, University of California), Giuseppe Piergallini (IMC, International Marine Centre), Lidia Orsini Relini (Marine biology professor, Università di Genova), Sebastiano Venneri (Marine director, Legambiente), Franco Zuino (Liguria Region City Councilor for the Environment). The plans for the management of protected marine areas must be reviewed, so that they are a valid solution for the maintenance of rural societies located along the coast and which also guarantee, along with the maintenance of traditional practices, the tutelage of the gastronomic patrimony of this territory”.
President of Slow Food Italy, Roberto Burdese explained, “At Slow Fish a strong message has been sent to politicians in order to find a single, efficient means of governance of protected marine areas”.