The NGO Oceana called on Friday 21 October for the closure of the swordfish fishery in the Mediterranean, unless a recovery plan to rebuild the severely depleted stocks is put in place immediately (see EUROPE 11643).
The Mediterranean swordfish stock has been reduced to one third of its size in just 30 years. Fresh scientific advice has revealed that, if no action is taken to stop overfishing, the stock will never be able to recover by itself, Oceana says in a press release. Recent...