Anchovy, European – Adriatic Sea
European Anchovy are small, pelagic schooling fish (meaning they swim in groups near the surface) found throughout the eastern Atlantic Ocean and its associated seas.
In the Adriatic Sea [a sea in the north-central Mediterranean], the abundance and fishing levels of European Anchovy are uncertain. The fisheries that target Anchovy also target Sardine and catch other small pelagic fish, and fishing levels are high on some of these species. While management of Anchovy fisheries throughout much of the Mediterranean is poor, the exception is the Adriatic Sea, where a management plan has just been introduced.
The purse seines and pelagic trawls used to capture Anchovy fish at or near the water surface and therefore have little impact on bottom habitats. However, because Anchovies are an important prey species in pelagic food webs, there are concerns about the effects of these fisheries on the food web and overall ecosystem.
Anchovy caught in the Adriatic Sea is rated yellow, but all other Anchovy fisheries in the Mediterranean region are rated red.