Green light from the regional council to recognize an adverse climatic event, comparable to a natural disaster, in the fishing sector with reference to “small pelagics”. This is aid for 480 thousand euros intended for operators in the supply chain who fish sardines and anchovies, penalized by a significant decline in the capture of these fish species, caused by weather and climate events and which impacts the socio-economic sustainability of the sector.
«The Schifani government is at the side of the fishermen who have suffered losses of income due to the extraordinary weather events which have produced a decline in the catch of small pelagic fish – said the Councilor for Agriculture Luca Sammartino – We want to give them a concrete contribution to recover the lost ground and relaunch the sector».
The recognition of the character of an adverse climatic event comparable to a natural disaster concerns all three sea basins of the island: Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea and Strait of Sicily. In all of them, due to climatic events, there has been a significant reduction in the fishing stocks of the so-called “small pelagics” (Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus). Consequently, there have been repercussions on the production and income of the companies owning the units authorized for fishing and their crews.