Operation Siso in the Aeolian Islands by Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd protects the Italian waters thanks to a joint collaboration and support from the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund to tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Aeolian Archipelago.
Sea Shepherd’s vessel M/V Sam Simon together with Lipari’s Coast Guard, Milazzo’s Revenue and Customs Authorities, and with the collaboration of artisanal fishermen, confiscated 52 fads (Fishing Aggregating Devices) and 100 kilometers of polypropylene line in the Aeolian Islands in 178 hours.
The M/V Sam Simon, with a crew of 29 people of 11 different nationalities, carried out an undercover operation in the South Tyrrhenian Sea in collaboration with the Maritime Management Port Authority of Catania (Direzione Marittima Capitaneria di Porto di Catania, n.d.t.), Lipari Coast Guard, and the Italian Revenue and Custom Authorities Milazzo (Guardia di Finanza Milazzo, n.d.t.). The 178-hour patrol led to the removal and consequent seizure of 52 illegal FADS (Fishing Aggregating Devices) along with 100 kilometres of polypropylene line from the waters of the Aeolian Islands, and reports of suspicious fishing activities, triggering further inspections in the area. In addition to the M/V Sam Simon, a second undercover vessel is also present in the Aeolian Islands to report any illegal activities to the authorities.
It is estimated that more than 1,500 FADs are illegally anchored each year, which is a key contributor to plastic pollution in the Italian Sea, and lethal for marine species such as Loggerhead sea turtles that can become entangled during migration. This results in 2,000km of polypropylene line, and hundreds of kilos of plastic and bottles (often dirty and containing harmful chemical liquids) being dropped in the sea.
Operation SISO is focusing on protecting the delicate ecosystem of the Aeolian Islands from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It also shows the world the actual consequences of the use of FADs in the South Tyrrhenian Sea, and has earned the support of Lipari’s artisanal fishermen.
The Aeolian Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, and form an archipelago of seven inhabited islands, and several smaller islands and rocky outcrops. The seven islands are located in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, north of Sicily – just 12 nautical miles from Milazzo Cape. All of volcanic origin, they’re arranged in a Y-shape, with the feet pointing towards the west. Their rich biodiversity provides a perfect environment for the nesting of many migratory species and for whales, sperm whales, common dolphins, beaked whales, striped dolphins, grey dolphins and pilot whales.
The illegal FADs (Fishing Aggregating Devices), which are locally called “cannizzi”, are fixed buoys to which palm branches or similar materials are attached to form a sort of shelter under which high-seas fish gather. Considered a threat to both life in the Mediterranean and to local, legal fishing, they are illegal in the Aeolian waters at this time of the year, and have to be regulated when the season starts. The local management plan for the Aeolian Islands archipelago regulates their use: “In the zone to be managed, specific areas shall be specified in which the “cannizzi” shall be anchored, and their number shall be previously determined (maximum number: 20), along with the positioning and the use (measure 1.4 of the 2007-2013 EFF). They shall be assigned to fishers by means of random draw and they shall bear initials that make them recognizable. Moreover, in order to fight the fact that, in the last few years, common dolphinfish are caught earlier and earlier, it is ordered that the “cannizzi” shall be placed starting from September 15th, and that the beginning of the fishing of common dolphinfish shall start on October, 30th”.
Each FAD is made of 4-6 plastic drums with palm leaves as a floating part and a line up to 3000 metres long of approximately 3.5mm diameter and anchored to the seabed.
Siso was a young Sperm Whale (8.5 metres long) that died in 2017 entangled in a drift net during his migration close to the Aeolian Islands. The Coast Guard struggled to free him for many hours but sadly he could not be saved. Siso was later found dead along the coast of Milazzo Cape by the marine biologist Carmelo Isgro’ who saved the bones, keeping the net that killed him and the plastic that was in his stomach as a warning for future generations. “Siso” was the name of the friend that helped Carmelo retrieve the Sperm Whale, a friend who died in a car accident shortly after.
“With Operation SISO, Sea Shepherd returns to the Mediterranean Sea to protect cetaceans. A sperm whale came to visit us during the patrol along with numerous dolphins and turtles, almost to show us the way to the FADs, and fighting with us against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Operation SISO has obtained the full support of the artisanal fishermen of Lipari who, in joining us to defend the law, make our activities more and more effective. I would like to thank the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund for allowing us to navigate these waters together, and I am sure it is only the beginning of a lasting partnership. The most important weapon that makes the difference is the support of our donors combined with the passion of the volunteers that don’t turn the other way in the face of illegality and cruelty but fight it with direct action mile after mile. Neptune’s Navy will continue to fight relentlessly and consistently in the interests of life in the oceans, measuring our success in the numbers of lives saved.”
Campaign Leader Andrea Morello
The Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund is a foundation dedicated to the protection of the Aeolian Islands’ natural beauty and to the promotion of sustainable tourism. The fund supports projects focussed on preserving the environment and the sea around the islands.
The Chairman of the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund, Luca Del Bono, said: “I am thrilled that from a casual meeting in California a collaboration with Sea Shepherd was born, and we look forward to a long-term partnership for the protection of the sea of our islands. I want to thank the organization and Andrea Morello in particular for believing in our mission.”
A special recognition also goes to Smile Wave, a Swiss foundation that supports both Sea Shepherd and the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund projects.
Guided by a sperm whale, Operation SISO 2018 finishes with 130 km of illegal FADs (Fishing aggregating devices) removed from the sea. Commentary by Director of Sea Shepherd Italia, Andrea Morello.
In 2017, crossing the Aeolian Islands archipelago, a young sperm whale remained entangled in an illegal “squadrara” fishing net. The Coast Guard spent many hours struggling to free him but couldn’t save his life. SISO was found dead along the coast of Milazzo Cape, with the net still coiled around the tail fin and with the stomach full of plastic, by the marine biologist Carmelo Isgrò who still today is conserving the skeleton to show it as a warning for all of us and the future generations on the damages we are causing to the environment. Carmelo decided to call the sperm whale with the name SISO in honor of the dear friend who helped him retrieve the sperm whale, and who died in a car accident in those same days.
The death of SISO due to an illegal drift net, is a clear signal of the presence of illegal fishing gear in the Aeolian archipelago. Moreover, the 2018 data from the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, updated as of 15th September 2018, confirm that 180.815,79 kg of illegal catch have been confiscated with a total of €7.649.914,8 sanctions applied.
It becomes clearly impossible for Sea Shepherd not to intervene, with the support of the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund and Smile Wave.
The strategy of the operation provided for two Sea Shepherd vessels to be used: the M/V Sam Simon and a ship without logo on an undercover mission. The latter reached the area earlier beginning the monitoring of the eastern area of the archipelago, while the M/V Sam Simon was arriving from North and going towards South-West.
We left aboard the M/V Sam Simon from the Molo Italia in La Spezia on October 2nd with a purpose: to locate the illegal fishing gear and driftnets in the Aeolian Islands. The vessel was ready after 4 months on dry berthing, yet on day two it has been through the ringer: an increasing Sea State 5 that made it test a violent storm coming from North-East.
It was dawn when we reached the area north of the wonderful Alicudi and we have been welcomed by a pod of dolphins coming to cheer us and bringing a calmness to the sea that allowed us to promptly locate the first plastic jerrycans tied and anchored to a 3000mt deep seabed: the illegal FADs (Fishing Aggregating Devices).
In agreement and coordination with the Coast Guard, direct action sprang immediately: at 8.45am we hoisted aboard the first illegal FADs. From that moment on we started to locate and map on the GPS dozens of FADs which represent a real danger, even for turtles that most of the time remain entangled without the chance to break free, heading to certain death.
After two days of unrelenting efforts, the sea reinforced taking us inside the archipelago in the marine area in the South of Filicudi, a new area to patrol. At 9am something unexpected happened: in our binoculars, ready to spot potentially illegal fishing gear, a strong and recognizable puff appeared and then another! A wonderful sperm whale came to visit us, as if he wanted to join us in our search for SISO and the nets that killed him. It was him that brought us to the immediate sighting of dozens of other illegal FADs.
These illegal FADs threaten both the life in the Mediterranean and the local legal fishing. The local management plan of the Aeolian Islands archipelago regulates the use of the “cannizzi”: “In the area to be managed, specific zones will be identified in which the “cannizzi” can be anchored, and the number (maximum of 20), position and implementation (measure 1.4 of the European Fisheries Fund 2007-2013) will be planned. They will be assigned by draw to the fishermen and signed as to make them recognizable. Furthermore, to tackle the recent but progressive anticipation of the capture of the common dolphinfish, the posing of the “cannizzi” is established starting from September 15th and the beginning of the catching activities on September 30th.” The non-detectability and the complete lack of traceability of the FADs make them part of the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).
The results of 12 days of unrelenting direct action are 130km of polypropylene line and 1500 mt of fishing line of big thickness without hooks removed from the sea, and a total of 68 illegal FADs confiscated and several plastic bottles, some of them still containing polluting material inside.
The strategy of the Operation revealed to be successful when two fishing vessels, at the sight of the M/V Sam Simon, tried to distance themselves in order to fish illegally using the FADs. Our undercover sailing boat intercepted their route and, using the most powerful existing weapon, the camera, filmed them. Thanks to the documentation of the identifying details of the vessels and of the position, the Coast Guard and the Financial Guard have been able to intervene with investigations still going on.
With the arrival of the sailing boat in Anzio harbor, Operation SISO 2018 ended with the typical Sea Shepherd success and effectiveness, and it confirms the huge estimated presence of illegal FADs: over 5000 in the South Tyrrhenian Sea for an estimated total of 10.000km of illegal fishing gear that every year are put into water.
Thanks to the support of the Aeolian Preservation Fund and Smile Wave, the interaction with local communities has been perfect and during the stops at Lipari and Salina a lot of children and students came onboard. We also received onboard the representatives of the Aeolian artisanal fishermen that will cooperate with Sea Shepherd in order to increase the effectiveness of the next campaigns, and to defend with us this heavenly archipelago, with the purpose of creating a protected marine area which may lead to total protection, opening also the path towards the sustainable Blue economy in an ecological coexistence among species.
In memory of SISO, reinforced by the passion of our volunteers and the support of all the people who will help us, we will come back to the South Tyrrhenian against the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) and against the use of plastic. Lining up with the “bow toward the sea” with the biggest private fleet in defense of the life of those we call “our clients”, the inhabitants of the Oceans, our thirteen ships are positioned in almost all the seas of our planet.
The most important weapon that makes the difference is the passion of the individuals, the passion that encourages to not turn the back in front of illegality and cruelty but to fight them with direct action, without leaving neither plastic nor cruelty behind, but the sense of sharing and respect for all lives.
