Environmental threats to the Mediterranean

North African and European countries are having to tackle a growing range of problems in the Mediterranean Sea, from plastic pollution to rising temperature.

In the Libyan coastal city of Sirte, Mokhtar al-Rammash prepares to take his plastic boat out on another fishing trip. Untangling his nets, he points to the waste-scattered surface of the sea.

“These nets now catch only plastic,” he says. “It feels like we’re cleaning the sea instead of earning a living from it.”

Plastic trash, which according to the United Nations enters the Mediterranean Sea at a rate of 730 tonnes a day, is not his only concern. He says industrial trawlers that “take everything, even the small, juvenile fish”, are sweeping the sea “clean every day”.

He adds that sewage released by towns near the Libyan capital, Tripoli, is killing fish and sponge populations, while coastal reclamation is disturbing breeding grounds for certain species.

“We have one of the longest coastlines in the region, yet we import fish from abroad,” Al-Rammash says.

He and other fishermen hope the Libyan environment ministry will take action to protect the sea and what he describes as “a continuous destruction” of their only source of income.

SHARED STRUGGLES

Along the coast near Alexandria, Egypt, Haj Nabi, now in his 60s, recalls a time when the sea provided a rich catch.

“In the past, we used to come back with 100 kilogrammes of fish, but today we get only 10 and sometimes, we return with nothing at all,” he says, adding that the trawlers are at least partly to blame, with a single vessel hauling “more than the local fishermen combined”.

He says he has taken his concerns to the authorities, but so far he has not received a reply.

Environmental reports from Algeria have shown ongoing depletion of species such as pilchard, which is important for the country’s fishing industry.

Algerian authorities say 1 300 tonnes of “sardine seeds” are caught annually, often illegally. Researchers warn that catching juvenile fish undermines populations and disrupts the marine food chain.

SOLUTIONS

As local fishermen feel the weight of the problems facing the Mediterranean, Egypt has presented a national plan to improve its coastal environment.

The plan, presented at a July conference, would restore two coastal lakes and build around 70 kilometres of shoreline protection in the form of sand dune dikes. Cairo is also aiming to reduce plastic use through extended producer responsibility that would impose fees on manufacturers and importers of plastic bags.

Environment minister Yasmine Fouad has announced initiatives to provide additional income for fishermen, involving them in marine waste collection and recycling, as well as monitoring water quality for pollution.

“Protecting the Mediterranean is no longer an environmental choice. It’s a social and economic necessity,” she says.

It is also a climate necessity. Scientific studies show that oceans have absorbed about 90% of the excess heat generated by human activity since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, placing additional stress on fragile marine ecosystems.

In June, 55 countries signed the High Seas Treaty, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. This milestone in global ocean governance – which will create protected areas and regulate ocean activities – will come into effect once 60 countries have ratified it.

June also saw 170 countries come together in France to announce the Nice Ocean Action Plan. It calls for involving fishers in environmental data collection, banning deep-sea fishing in fragile ecosystems and supporting blue economy projects as a path to sustainable development.

European countries have pledged to invest €1 billion in ocean protection initiatives over the coming years. This includes support for countries in the Global South, stricter marine conservation and advanced monitoring of pollution in the Mediterranean.

– DW

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