Descrizione del progetto
Alla ricerca degli effetti indiretti della pesca a strascico
La pesca a strascico può avere effetti negativi sui fondali marini. In che modo la pesca a strascico influisce sulla produttività delle specie ittiche demersali? Cosa succede a quei pesci di fondo che vivono e si nutrono sui fondali di mari o laghi o vicino a essi? Il progetto MIRROR, finanziato dall’UE, risponderà a queste domande. Studierà gli effetti negativi della pesca a strascico sulla dieta e sulle condizioni di una specie bersaglio (Mullus barbatus) nel Mediterraneo occidentale. In particolare, il progetto esplorerà come i cambiamenti nelle condizioni dei pesci possano alterare caratteri biologici come la crescita e il potenziale riproduttivo. I risultati contribuiranno a individuare gli effetti indiretti delle perturbazioni della pesca a strascico e a fissare soglie per ridurre al minimo gli impatti. A sua volta, ciò garantirà il rispetto delle normative nazionali e internazionali sulle popolazioni ittiche produttive e sane.
Obiettivo
The evaluation of trawling impact on the productivity of demersal fish species is a crucial knowledge to maintain the yield from wild-capture fisheries and to cope with the global increasing demand of sea proteins. Under this scenario, the study of patterns of trawling disturbance (TD) at relevant scale to provide realistic management strategies will represent a challenge to next generation scientists. TD generates a multi-faced combination of direct (e.g. displacement of population structure of commercial species targets) and indirect (e.g. food-web alteration) effects contributing to the likelihood of resource limitation and hence stability of the whole marine ecosystem. The indirect effects are still understudied. It remains still largely unknown how the alteration of benthic dynamics due to chronic trawling disturbance can trigger unpredictable cascade effects involving most ecological components impairing the system to cope with the natural environmental variability. MIRROR aims to investigate the TD effects on the diet and condition of a target species (Mullus barbatus) in the Western Mediterranean Sea through the mechanisms of competitor and benthic prey reduction by the fishing activity. MIRROR will explore the effects that changes in fish condition can have on life-history traits (e.g. growth and reproductive potential). Understanding the link between TD, condition and LH traits represents a stepping stone for the inclusion of condition as an indicator for the management of exploited species. MIRROR’s outcomes may allow the identification of TD thresholds to achieve a desired mean optimal condition. The integration of results will be used to inform stakeholders and policy makers suggesting measures to promote a sustainable fishery by minimizing impacts and ensuring productive and healthy fish population, as recommended by national and international directives and required when setting certification standard and ecolabels.
Campo scientifico
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesfisheries
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyichthyology
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
07122 Palma De Mallorca
Spagna