Anthropogenic impact in the Santa Maria di Leuca cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea): Observations and conservation straits

The geographic distribution of fishing effort for each type of fishing were rather superimposed in the two years of the observers׳ program and six years of VMS data with a significantly greater fishing effort outside the FRA than inside this area. The trawlers generally fished on the muddy bottoms of the upper and middle slope within the SML CWC province and near and inside the northward limit of the FRA. The longliners fished mainly on the shelf in north and off the FRA. The coral by-catch was only recorded during 2009 in 26% of the trawl hauls. No coral by-catch was recorded from longlining in either year. The catches from longlining mainly consisted of Chelidonichthys lucerna, Merluccius merluccius and Conger conger while those from trawling mostly consisted of Aristeus antennatus, Aristaeomorpha foliacea and M. merluccius. The information collected during the observers׳ program and VMS data indicated greater impact due to trawling than longlining. The conservation and effective management of this vulnerable marine ecosystem remain difficult.