VENICE CONFERENCE SUPPORTED BY WWF MEDITERRANEAN PROGRAM

VENICE, Nov 26 (Hina) - The World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Mediterranean Programme on Wednesday gave its contribution to the Venice conference on sustainable development of fisheries in the Mediterranean, supporting some of the measures proposed at the conference and pointing to current problems in the Mediterranean fisheries. #L# The WWF supported the introduction of protected fishing zones, which was recommended by the European Commission and the Venice Declaration. The fund said that illegal and unregistered fishing was taking place in the Mediterranean due to the lack of such zones and control on the open seas. The WWF Mediterranean Programme stressed the positive experience of Spain which in 1998 proclaimed a 49-nautical mile wide protected fishing zone in the Mediterranean. The struggle against illegal fishing has been more successful since the proclamation of this zone. The WWF also pointed to problems regarding the breeding and catching of tuna in the Mediterranean. While the Venice conference was taking place, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna banned its members from using floating fishing nets in the Mediterranean. The WWF has been advocating such a decision for the past ten years. (hina) it sb