Risks of Extinction for Sea Urchins in Sicilian Protected Marine Areas

Sea urchins in Sicily are at risk of extinction, according to the research project “Monitoring Paracentrotus-Mopa, occhio ai ricci” funded by European funds and coordinated by the Department of Earth and Sea Sciences at the University of Palermo. The study analyzed the seabeds in 5 marine protected areas in Sicily, and found that there is a lack of healthy sea urchin populations. This is attributed to illegal fishing, as only 12 fishermen in the region have licenses to fish for sea urchins, while all others are illegal. The lack of control over illegal fishing is contributing to the decline in sea urchin populations, and the researchers suggest implementing a biological stoppage of at least three years in order to protect the species.

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In Sicilia niente ricci nelle aree marine protette: ormai sono una specie a rischio di estinzione

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