The protection of the Jabuka/Pomo Pit provides
a glimpse of hope for the recovery of
the Mediterranean Sea.
The Adriatic Sea hosts a large fraction of Mediterranean marine species but because of its richness, this sea has historically been exploited and suffers from habitat damage, loss of biodiversity and fish stocks decline.
But in the last few years, something has changed.
For over a decade scientists had been calling for the protection of the Jabuka/Pomo Pit, a large area that hosts the most important spawning and nursery grounds of depleted species such as hake and Norway lobster of the Adriatic Sea.
Finally in 2017, with a groundbreaking decision promoted by MedReAct and the Adriatic Recovery Project, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean granted international protection by declaring it a Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA).
The Jabuka/Pomo Pit FRA consists of three zones: a central area closed to fishing (Zone A) and two buffer areas (Zone B and C) where fishing is limited to a specific number of authorized vessels and fishing days.
Studies have shown that in just few years the Jabuka/Pomo FRA has had a major positive impact, fish populations are recovering at an impressive rate which has benefited fishers who have seen an increase of their catches due to the spillover effect into adjacent areas.
