Professional fishing activities

Regulation on professional fishing activities

(pursuant to art. 24 of M.D. 100 of 28.04.2017)
  1. In the marine protected area, fishing with towed gear, beach seines, drifting nets and purse seines, and with light sources is not permitted. Aquaculture and active restocking and spearfishing are also not permitted.
  2. In the marine protected area, fishing of the species listed in the Habitats Directive (92/43/EC in Annexes II, IV, V) is not permitted, including:
    1. Fan mussel (Pinna nobilis);
    2. Limpet (Patella ferruginea, Patella rustica);
    3. Date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga);
    4. Red Coral (Corallium rubrum);
    5. Mediterranean slipper lobster (Scyllarides latus);
    6. Diadem sea urchin (Centrostephanus longispinus);
    7. Sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus);
    8. Twaite shad (Alosa fallax);
    9. Sharks (Hexanchus griseus; Cetorhinus maximus), and sharks belonging to the families Alopiidae, Carcharhinidae, Sphyrnidae, Isuridae and Lamnidae;
    10. fishing of all groupers (Epinephelus spp., Mycteroperca rubra, Polyprion americanus) is also prohibited;
  3. The managing body, following the results of the monitoring of the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) resource, may provide, by subsequent measure, after consulting the Reserve Commission, and with prior approval by the Ministry, the methods and criteria to authorise said fishing in limited periods and areas.
  4. In Zones A, any professional fishing activity, including small-scale artisanal fishing, is prohibited.
  5. In Zones B and C, only small-scale artisanal fishing is permitted, subject to authorisation by the managing body, reserved for fishing enterprises that carry out the activity either individually or in cooperative form, having their registered office in the Province of Oristano at the date of entry into force of the regulation, and for the members of said cooperatives entered in the register of each cooperative at the same date.
  6. In Zones B, small-scale artisanal fishing is permitted to the authorised parties referred to in the previous paragraph, only at a distance from the coast of not less than 300 metres, exclusively with the following gear and methods, used alternatively:
    1. fixed set nets, with a maximum length of 1,500 metres per boat with a single fisherman on board, increasing to 2,000 metres for a second fisherman on board, up to a maximum of 2,500 metres with a third fisherman on board, with mesh sizes not less than 40 millimetres, marked as provided for by current regulations, and with an appropriate identification mark, numbered and issued by the managing body at the time the authorisation is issued;
    2. parties who at the time of the authorisation request communicate the use of all nets with meshes larger than 50 millimetres are granted a 30% bonus on the net length;
    3. fixed longlines with a maximum number of hooks of 300 per boat with a single fisherman, increasing to 400 hooks for a second fisherman on board, and increasing by a further 100 hooks for each additional fisherman on board, up to a maximum of 600 hooks, compatibly with the equipment chart of the fishing craft, and suitably marked as provided for by current regulations and with an appropriate identification mark, numbered and issued by the managing body at the time the authorisation is issued;
    4. pots, placed at sea for no more than three consecutive days, only during the period from 1 March to 31 August, at a distance from the coast of 300 metres and in any case between 20 and 50 metres in depth, marked as provided for by current regulations and with an appropriate identification mark, numbered and issued by the managing body at the time the authorisation is issued, in the following quantities:
      1. 200 pots per individual on board up to a maximum of 200 pots with more than one person on board, for fishing craft with GT ≤ 2;
      2. 200 pots per individual on board up to a maximum of 300 pots with more than one person on board, for fishing craft with GT between 2 and 5;
      3. 200 pots per individual on board up to a maximum of 400 pots with more than one person on board, for fishing craft with GT > 5.
  7. In Zone C, small-scale artisanal fishing is permitted to the authorised parties referred to in the preceding paragraph 5, only at a distance from the coast of not less than 200 metres, exclusively with the following gear and methods, used alternatively:
    1. fixed set nets, with a maximum length of 2,000 metres per boat with a single fisherman on board, increasing to 2,500 metres for a second fisherman on board, up to a maximum of 3,000 metres with a third fisherman on board, with mesh sizes not less than 40 millimetres, marked as provided for by current regulations and with an appropriate identification mark, numbered and issued by the managing body at the time the authorisation is issued;
    2. parties who at the time of the authorisation request communicate the use of all nets with meshes larger than 50 millimetres are granted a 30% bonus on the net length;
    3. fixed longlines with a maximum number of 400 hooks per boat with a single fisherman, increasing to 600 hooks for a second fisherman on board, and increasing by a further 200 hooks for each additional fisherman on board, up to a maximum of 800 hooks, compatibly with the equipment chart of the fishing craft, and suitably marked as provided for by current regulations and with an appropriate identification mark, numbered and issued by the managing body at the time the authorisation is issued;
    4. pots, placed at sea for no more than three consecutive days, only during the period from 1 March to 31 August, at a distance from the coast of 300 metres and in any case between 20 and 50 metres in depth, marked as provided for by current regulations and with an appropriate identification mark, numbered and issued by the managing body at the time the authorisation is issued, in the following quantities:
      1. 300 pots per individual on board up to a maximum of 300 pots with more than one person on board, for fishing craft with GT ≤ 2;
      2. 300 pots per individual on board up to a maximum of 450 pots with more than one person on board, for fishing craft with GT between 2 and 5;
      3. 300 pots per individual on board up to a maximum of 500 pots with more than one person on board, for fishing craft with GT > 5.
  8. The discharge at sea of water from bilges or other systems of the fishing craft and of any toxic or polluting substance, as well as the release of solid or liquid waste, is not permitted. The delivery in port and the management of waste produced is permitted according to the “plan for the collection and management of waste produced by ships and cargo residues” in force, drawn up by the Oristano Port Authority.
  9. Small-scale artisanal fishing is not permitted within maritime state concessions where buoys for recreational craft mooring fields are present. Fishing activities and the placement of gear are also not permitted at a distance of less than 150 metres from the mooring buoys intended for the activities referred to in the preceding articles 15 and 16, and 100 metres from the perimeter buoys of Zones A.
  10. For the purpose of issuing the authorisation, with a maximum annual validity, for small-scale artisanal fishing, authorised parties must submit a request to the managing body by 31 January of each year.
  11. Parties authorised to carry out small-scale artisanal fishing must communicate annually, on a specific form prepared by the managing body, the fishing periods, the data on catches, the gear used and the fishing methods within the marine protected area for monitoring purposes. These communications are recorded in a specific register kept by the managing body, of which a copy of the annotations is issued to the parties themselves.
  12. In relation to the environmental protection needs underlying the founding decree, the managing body reserves the right, following the monitoring carried out to verify the capacity and methods of harvesting fish resources, to adapt, by subsequent measures, after consulting the Reserve Commission, and with prior approval by the Ministry, the professional fishing activity, in particular indicating:
    1. characteristics and quantity of fishing gear that can be used for each fishing craft;
    2. fishing activities calendar, including days and times for particular activities;
    3. minimum catch sizes for commercial and non-commercial fish species;
    4. protection measures with reference to particular threatened or at-risk species;
    5. number of fishing enterprises/cooperatives authorised to carry out small-scale artisanal fishing;
    6. number of fishing craft per authorised enterprise/cooperative carrying out small-scale artisanal fishing;
    7. the prohibition of access to certain areas and for specific periods, to fishing craft used for small-scale artisanal fishing activities.
  13. In order to allow generational turnover among fishing operators, in case of cessation of fishing activities by parties authorised by the managing body, the authorisation may be granted to another party, provided that it possesses the requirements referred to in the preceding paragraph 5, respectively for small-scale artisanal fishing, even if acquired after the date of entry into force of the establishing decree, within the limits of the fishing effort of the operator ceasing the activity.

Rules by zone

Zone Allowed Notes
Zone A Forbidden Nelle zone A è vietata qualsiasi attività di pesca professionale compresa la piccola pesca artigianale. L’attività di piccola pesca artigianale non è consentita all’interno delle concessioni demaniali marittime in cui sono presenti gavitelli destinati a campi ormeggio per le unità da diporto. Non è altresì consentita l’attività di pesca e il posizionamento degli attrezzi, ad una distanza inferiore a 150 metri dai gavitelli di ormeggio destinati alle attività di cui ai precedenti articoli 15 e 16, e a 100 metri dalle boe di perimetrazione delle zone A.
Zone B With authorisation Nelle zone B e C è consentita esclusivamente, previa autorizzazione del soggetto gestore, l’attività di piccola pesca artigianale, riservata alle imprese di pesca che esercitano l’attività sia individualmente, sia in forma cooperativa, aventi sede legale nella Provincia di Oristano alla data di entrata in vigore del regolamento di disciplina, e ai soci delle suddette cooperative inseriti alla stessa data nel registro di ciascuna cooperativa. Nelle zone B la piccola pesca artigianale è consentita ai soggetti autorizzati di cui al precedente comma, unicamente ad una distanza dalla costa non inferiore a 300 metri, esclusivamente con i seguenti attrezzi e modalità, utilizzati in alternativa fra loro: reti da posta fisse, di lunghezza massima di 1.500 metri per imbarcazione con un solo pescatore imbarcato, aumentando fino a 2.000 metri per un secondo pescatore imbarcato, fino ad un massimo di 2.500 metri con un terzo pescatore imbarcato, con maglia di dimensioni non inferiore a 40 millimetri, segnalate come previsto dalla normativa vigente, e con apposito segno di riconoscimento, numerato e consegnato dal soggetto gestore al momento del rilascio dell’autorizzazione;
Zone C With authorisation Nelle zone B e C è consentita esclusivamente, previa autorizzazione del soggetto gestore, l’attività di piccola pesca artigianale, riservata alle imprese di pesca che esercitano l’attività sia individualmente, sia in forma cooperativa, aventi sede legale nella Provincia di Oristano alla data di entrata in vigore del regolamento di disciplina, e ai soci delle suddette cooperative inseriti alla stessa data nel registro di ciascuna cooperativa. Nella zona C la piccola pesca artigianale è consentita ai soggetti autorizzati di cui al precedente comma 5, unicamente ad una distanza dalla costa non inferiore a 200 metri, esclusivamente con i seguenti attrezzi e modalità, utilizzati in alternativa fra loro: reti da posta fisse, di lunghezza massima di 2.000 metri per imbarcazione con un solo pescatore imbarcato, aumentando fino a 2.500 metri per un secondo pescatore imbarcato, fino ad un massimo di 3.000 metri con un terzo pescatore imbarcato, con maglia di dimensioni non inferiore a 40 millimetri, segnalati come previsto dalla normativa vigente e con apposito segno di riconoscimento, numerato e consegnato dal soggetto gestore al momento del rilascio dell’autorizzazione;