Tuna boom on the Bari coast: population tripled. Anchovies, mackerel, and sardines declined.

Tuna numbers are booming along the Bari coast: numbers have tripled, but there's alarm for other pelagic species that populate this fishing area, from anchovies to mackerel, cod, and sardines, which, along with squid, calamari, and cuttlefish, are eaten by predators like tuna.

"During these summer months," notes Nicola Parente, a longtime spokesperson for the Mola fishing community, a town that recently hosted the 50th edition of the Sea Festival-Octopus Festival, "the presence of tuna has increased." This invasion has become a serious threat to other fish species, particularly bluefish. The FAO has certified the phenomenon, highlighting the tuna's voracious appetite in its latest report on the state of fish resources, distributed to fishing communities. It highlights the phenomenon, highlighting the tuna's voracious appetite: "Each individual consumes the equivalent of 10% of its own body weight every day. An adult tuna can therefore eat up to 40 kilos of fish per day, with a rich and varied diet that includes squid and anchovies."

What are the causes of the tuna invasion? According to Fedagripesca-Confcooperative, "they are to be found in the strict European regulations on scheduling," they explain in a statement. "Fishing quantities, EU inspectors on board, and landing ports make tuna the most protected commercial fish species in the world. This has triggered a veritable boom in the yellowfin and bluefin tuna population, with negative impacts on other fish stocks and fishing activities. We would hate to find ourselves now treating tuna from a resource to a threat and having to plan selective culling, as happens in wild boar camps."

"These predators," notes Vincenzo Marasciulo, shipowner and representative of a Monopoli fishermen's cooperative, "hunt pink shrimp and cod, which often end up decapitated in our nets. It's an unequal battle, and we fishermen suffer the consequences."

For this reason, maritime workers' organizations have long called for greater investment in scientific research to understand the changes underway in the seas and climate and identify actions to address a crisis that is severely straining Puglia's 1,455 vessels. The data on fishing activities in the Bari area (from Molfetta to Giovinazzo, Santo Spirito, Torre a Mare, Mola, and Monopoli) is significant: a third of the 300 trawlers have requested permanent cessation.

One of the hot topics is the fishing ban (from August 16th to September 29th), a measure that, according to Coldiretti Impresa Pesca, which has brought its proposals to the ministerial table, cannot simply limit catch times, but must be rethought to protect fishermen and marine resources during the crucial stages of reproduction.