Case Study - Operation SISO (Primary)

SEA SHEPHERD CASE STUDY
OPERATION SISO
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Slide 1: Slide
ScienceGeography+44-6 Grade6th,7th Grade

This lesson contains 16 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 2 videos.

time-iconLesson duration is: 20 min

Introduction

This Case Study connects with our Lesson Plans: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. It focuses on our campaign Operation SISO working in the Italian Aeolian Archipelago.

Instructions

This Case Study connects with our Lesson Plans: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing 1-3.   It focuses on our campaign Operation SISO working in the Italian Aeolian Archipelago.  

This Case Study takes 20 minutes to complete.

Contact: education@seashepherdglobal.org
© Sea Shepherd 2021

Instructions

Items in this lesson

SEA SHEPHERD CASE STUDY
OPERATION SISO

Slide 1 - Slide

This lesson is provided by Sea Shepherd.  Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 and is a marine conservation organisation working to protect the oceans and marine wildlife.  Sea Shepherd works globally on a range of issues impacting the oceans, running numerous direct action campaigns each year.  IUU is one area Sea Shepherd is working on to help stop illegal fishing.
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Watch  the video

Slide 2 - Slide

During the lesson we will use these icons to identify the learning actions.
Operation Siso commenced in 2018.
Working with the government of Italy to tackle IUU in the Aeolian Archipelago.
Operation Siso commenced in 2018.
Working with the government of Italy to tackle IUU in the Aeolian Archipelago.

Slide 3 - Slide

Operation SISO
Protecting the waters of Italy's Aeolian Islands.
In September 2018, Sea Shepherd launched Operation Siso in partnership with Italian authorities and support from the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund and Smile Wave to tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Aeolian Archipelago.

Slide 4 - Map

The map shows the location of the Aeolian Archipelago.
Patrolling and removing FAD's and fishing lines.
Patrolling and removing FAD's and fishing lines.

Slide 5 - Slide

Operation SISO
On the first campaign, Sea Shepherd’s vessel  Sam Simon together with Lipari’s Coast Guard, Milazzo’s Revenue and Customs Authorities, and with the collaboration of local fishermen, confiscated 52 fads (Fishing Aggregating Devices) and 100 kilometers of polypropylene line in the Aeolian Islands in 178 hours.

In 2019 the target was illegal driftnets.
In 2019 the target was illegal driftnets.

Slide 6 - Slide

Targeting illegal driftnets
In June 2019 Sea Shepherd returned to the Mediterranean Sea to focus on the use of illegal driftnets and other deadly fishing gear off the west coast of Italy.

This was carried out with the help of the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund and Smile Wave in collaboration with Lipari and Salina’s artisanal fishermen.

Tackling plastic pollution caused by fishing gear.
Tackling plastic pollution caused by fishing gear.

Slide 7 - Slide

Tackling plastic pollution
Sea Shepherd is also fighting against the plastic pollution caused by illegal fishing gear, which has long been the biggest cause of plastic pollution destroying the Mediterranean seabed, its ecosystem, and its coral reefs.

Moreover, the millions of bottles and plastic tanks abandoned at sea continue to pollute and as they deteriorate over time, producing huge amounts of microplastics. Once their anchoring gets severed, FADs become death traps made of floating twine nets that entangle and kill seabirds, sea turtles, whales and fish.

FAD's
Fish Aggregating Devices

Estimated over 10,000 left floating in the South Tyrhenian Sea.

20,000kms of polypropylene twine.



FAD'S
Fish Aggregating Devices

Estimated over 10,000 left floating in the South Tyrhenian Sea.

20,000kms of polypropylene twine.

Slide 8 - Slide

FADs
The estimated number of illegal Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) is beyond imagination:
• 10,000 illegal FADs in the South Tyrrhenian Sea with an estimated 20,000 kilometres of polypropylene twine and hundreds of plastic bottles and tanks.
• According to a scientific paper published on the Journal of Environmental Management combining research from Sicily, Malta and Tunisia between 1961 to 2017, 1.6 million FADs and 5.4 million plastic bottles and tanks have been dumped in the Mediterranean Sea (reference).

TYPES OF FISHING
FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES (FAD)

These devices are designed to lure fish into an area to make it easier to find and catch fish.  The device can attract multiple species of pelagic fish. 

Two parts - plastic tanks with palm leaves, which are then anchored by a line attached to a lump of concrete or stone.


TYPES OF FADS

These devices are designed to lure fish into an area to make it easier to find and catch fish.  The device can attract multiple species of pelagic fish.

Two parts - plastic tanks with palm leaves, which are then anchored by a line attached to a lump of concrete or stone.

Slide 9 - Slide

Artisanal fishing gear internationally known as Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), locally called “caponare” or “canizzi”, are illegal in the waters of the Aeolian Islands.

FADs are comprised of 2 parts: a floating part made of plastic tanks and palm leaves, and an anchored part, usually made by a long polypropylene twine tied around a weight of concrete or stones that anchors the device deeply to the seabed.

The target of this device is mainly the dolphinfish (“mahi mahi” in USA, “capone” in Sicily), a pelagic fish that swims through the Tyrrhenian Sea in large numbers from the end of summer to the end of the year.

Slide 10 - Video

Retrieving FADs and lines
After departing from Portorosa, Sicily, the team followed a course through waters known for having a high concentration of illegal FADs. The vessels were equipped with a system of winches specifically designed to retrieve every part of the deeply anchored FADs, to effectively retrieve all of the polypropylene twine and plastic tanks from the sea.
In the following weeks of constant work, 77 illegal FADS with 150 kilometers of polypropylene twine and hundreds of tanks with dangerous and highly polluting residues were retrieved, confiscated and delivered to the Lipari Coast Guard.
Show this video (2.22min) which shows crew at work removing some of the lines and FAD’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZ_g3ny0wM

IUU fishing kills millions of species and threats local artisanal fishing.
IUU fishing kills millions of species and threats local artisanal fishing.

Slide 11 - Slide

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing kills millions of different species illegally, making criminals richer and seriously damaging legal artisanal fishing.

Slide 12 - Video

Mediterranean Sea
Show this video (4.50min) which explains the species in the Mediterranean Sea, the extent of overfishing in this area, the threat of IUU and Sea Shepherd’s campaign to help protect the area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ypT007Wuo&t=199s


What are the main threats to marine life
in the Mediterranean Sea?

Slide 13 - Open question

Ask students to complete their answers to the following question using the www.LessonUp.app or discuss in classroom.

“What are the main threats to marine life in the Mediterranean Sea?”



Write down three things you have learned?

Slide 14 - Open question

What did you learn?
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.  

“Write down three things you have learned?”



Write down one thing you didn't understand?

Slide 15 - Open question

What don’t you understand?
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.  

“Write down one thing you didn’t understand?”

www.seashepherdglobal.org

Slide 16 - Slide

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