(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Al-Fanar Media).
For centuries, the deep sea remained largely beyond the reach of human exploitation, however as fishing technology advanced, fleets increasingly expanded into deeper waters. In the Mediterranean, deep-sea fisheries are driven primarily by the commercial value of deep-water red shrimp, with fishing activity concentrated along the continental slope at depths of approximately 500 to 800 metres, where catches remain economically viable.
Recognising the vulnerability of deep-sea ecosystems as far back as 2005, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) adopted a ban on bottom trawling beyond 1,000 metres, prohibiting the use of dredges and bottom trawls below that depth throughout the Mediterranean and Black Seas. At the time, the 1,000-metre threshold broadly reflected the operational limits of fleets targeting deep-water shrimp.
The world has changed since 2005 as today growing scientific evidence suggests that vulnerable deep-sea habitats extend well above the current limit. Today, conservation organisations and marine scientists argue that the existing threshold of 1000 metres needs to be revised to 800 metres, prompting calls at the Mediterranean Fisheries Commission for stronger protections and a precautionary extension of the ban to shallower depths.
