Keeping fishing fair: On board an EU patrol vessel in the Adriatic Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most overfished places on Earth. Its future depends on all fishers playing by the rules and keeping their catches sustainable. But how do authorities ensure this in a vast sea crisscrossed by national borders?

The Ocean Sentinel is a vessel run by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA). It patrols the international waters of the Adriatic Sea between Italy and Croatia, and Ocean joined the team onboard to see how it ensures the rules of the sea are being respected.

In the wheelhouse of Ocean Sentinel, Andrea Patalano, the EFCA's coordinator for control operations, prepares for his morning briefing with the inspection team.

"Why do we have a European Union patrol vessel? It's to let member countries put their own inspectors on board," Andrea told Ocean. "This way, we can share insights, best practices, and aim for a unified approach in inspections and control activities."

Alongside Andrea and another Italian inspector, the team also includes a drone pilot and a pair of fishing inspectors from Croatia.

"It's a great mix. We swap experiences and collaborate. That's crucial because the Adriatic is a sea that is shared," said Domagoj Bojko, the fishery inspector at Croatia’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Ocean joined EFCA on a mission in the Mediterranean Sea - in international waters, but not far from a fisheries-restricted area. Fishing is permitted there as long as it follows the European and national rulebooks.

In the morning, two fishing boats working side by side are the first to be inspected. The team radios the fishermen to give them a heads-up. All clear, no objections.

Moments after, a speedboat zooms off from the Ocean Sentinel, carrying the inspection team to the fishing boats at sea.

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