Coordinators: Vito Pipitone and Marco Torri

Abstract

This research line aims to address a still insufficiently explored area in the study of Mediterranean marine resource exploitation through an integrated and interdisciplinary approach combining fisheries biology, marine ecology, oceanography, genetics, biochemistry, economics, economic policy, statistics, sociology, and economic history. Fisheries represent a strategic sector not only for food production, but also for the cultural identity, social cohesion, and economic sustainability of coastal communities.

A comprehensive understanding of both fish stock ecological dynamics and their socio-economic implications constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for the sustainable management of marine resources. The research focuses on assessing the status of fish populations, investigating the biological mechanisms regulating growth, reproduction, and recruitment, and analysing the effects of environmental and climatic variability on the early life stages of marine species.

Particular attention is devoted to commercially and ecologically important small and large pelagic species, including anchovies, sardines, tunas, and other key components of Mediterranean marine ecosystems. These species play a pivotal role in marine food webs and fisheries production systems, representing a critical interface between the environment, the economy, food security, and society.

In parallel, the research line integrates biological investigations with a quantitative socio-economic framework aimed at understanding the functioning of Mediterranean fisheries systems. In particular, it examines the micro-, meso-, and macroeconomic dynamics of fisheries value chains, focusing on stakeholder behaviour, market structures, price formation and transmission along the supply chain, coastal community development, and the contribution of fisheries to regional and national economies.

The overall objective is to generate scientific knowledge, bioeconomic models, and analytical tools capable of supporting public policies, management strategies, and sustainable development pathways within the framework of the Blue Economy.

Objectives

The overarching objective of this research line is to investigate marine fishery resources as a fundamental component of the Mediterranean’s natural, economic, and social capital by integrating biological stock assessment with the analysis of production systems, markets, and coastal communities.

More specifically, the research seeks to contribute to the assessment of fishery resources through biological monitoring programmes, field and laboratory data collection, population analyses, and the study of sensitive phases of marine species’ life cycles. Investigations into growth, age structure, reproduction, and recruitment provide essential insights into the processes regulating stock productivity and their responses to fishing pressure and environmental change.

Among the primary objectives is the study of early life stages, with particular emphasis on eggs and larvae, which represent a critical component for understanding reproductive success in fish species. Through morphological, genetic, biochemical, and ecological approaches, the research aims to identify species, assess larval condition, analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of eggs and larvae, and investigate the role of environmental variables in determining recruitment dynamics.

From a socio-economic perspective, the research line develops an integrated analysis of fisheries production systems articulated across three complementary levels. At the microeconomic level, it investigates the behaviour and decision-making processes of consumers, fishing enterprises, intermediaries, and distributors. At the mesoeconomic level, it examines fisheries value chains, local market structures, and mechanisms of price formation and transmission along the supply chain. At the macroeconomic level, it analyses the contribution of the fisheries sector to regional and national economies in terms of value added, employment, trade, and intersectoral linkages, including through input-output models and regional economic accounting frameworks.

A central objective is the development and application of structural and dynamic bioeconomic models capable of integrating fish stock dynamics with stakeholders’ economic behaviour and simulating alternative resource management scenarios.

The research activities also aim to causally evaluate the effects of public policies and regulatory regimes through counterfactual approaches as well as experimental and behavioural economics methodologies. These approaches are employed to analyse stakeholders’ responses to different incentive schemes, levels of regulatory compliance, and mechanisms of cooperation in the management of common-pool resources.

An additional objective is the development of socio-economic and bioeconomic sustainability indicators capable of jointly assessing the ecological and economic dimensions of fisheries and supporting evidence-based policymaking.

Activities

The core activities of the research line include the design of monitoring programmes for fish stock assessment, sampling campaigns at sea and in fish markets, the collection of biological, environmental, and economic data, and the development of integrated databases supporting scientific analysis and resource management.

With regard to the biological component, activities include fish population monitoring, collection of biometric and biological data, analysis of individual and population growth, estimation of growth curves, and investigation of stock demographic structure. These data, integrated with information on age, size, reproduction, and spatial distribution, allow the assessment of resource status, the monitoring of temporal dynamics, and the provision of scientific evidence supporting sustainable fisheries management.

A dedicated component concerns the ecology of early life stages. Activities include the sampling of eggs and larvae through plankton net surveys, morphological and molecular identification of larval stages, analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of ichthyoplankton, and investigation of the relationships between larval abundance, oceanographic conditions, and recruitment success. Genetic and biochemical analyses contribute to improving the taxonomic identification of eggs and larvae, assessing the physiological condition of individuals, and advancing understanding of the mechanisms influencing survival, growth, and development, with cascading effects on spawning biomass and resource availability.

Research activities also include the analysis of relationships between environmental variables, oceanographic dynamics, and biological processes, with particular attention to the effects of climate change, hydrological variability, and marine productivity on recruitment processes and the future availability of fishery resources.

The economic component involves the collection and analysis of data at micro-, meso-, and macroeconomic levels through the integration of administrative and institutional statistical sources at national and European scales (MASAF, Chambers of Commerce, COEWEB, DCF, EUMOFA, FAO), targeted surveys, and field interviews conducted with stakeholders operating along fisheries value chains.

At the microeconomic level, activities include the estimation of production and cost functions and the analysis of the technical and economic efficiency of fishing enterprises and fleets, including through stochastic frontier techniques and Data Envelopment Analysis. At the mesoeconomic level, activities focus on the functioning of fish markets and production systems, with particular attention to price formation and transmission mechanisms across different stages of the supply chain (landing, wholesale, and retail), as well as the role of intermediaries and information asymmetries. At the macroeconomic level, activities include the assessment of the economic contribution of fisheries and aquaculture sectors in order to quantify their direct, indirect, and induced effects on the broader economy.

A key research area concerns the development and application of dynamic bioeconomic models integrating biological and economic data to simulate management scenarios, such as variations in fishing effort, the establishment of marine protected areas, or quota systems, and evaluate their effects on fish stocks, economic returns, and social welfare.

For public policy analysis, activities include the application of counterfactual methods for the ex ante and ex post evaluation of regulatory instruments. In parallel, laboratory and field economic experiments, together with behavioural surveys, are designed to investigate stakeholders’ decisions under controlled conditions, particularly in relation to common-pool resource exploitation, cooperation mechanisms, and regulatory compliance.

Finally, the research activities include the development of composite sustainability indicators, forecasting scenarios, and decision support systems for policymakers and stakeholders aimed at promoting integrated, efficient, and sustainable management of marine resources.

These activities are complemented by dissemination and knowledge-transfer initiatives, including scientific publications, technical reports, stakeholder workshops, and the establishment of collaborative networks among research institutions, public administrations, industry stakeholders, and local communities.

Research Topics

The project falls within the following thematic areas: fisheries biology, fisheries economics, experimental and behavioural economics, economic policy, marine ecology, biological oceanography, biodiversity, sustainable natural resource management, food security, and the Blue Economy.

The main areas of interest include fish stock assessment, marine species life cycles, recruitment dynamics, resource conservation, sustainability of fisheries value chains, and the relationships between marine ecosystems, markets, and coastal societies.

Particular attention is devoted to small and large pelagic species, which play a strategic role from both ecological and economic perspectives. Small pelagics, such as sardines and anchovies, constitute a fundamental component of marine food webs and an essential resource for many Mediterranean fishing communities. Large pelagics, such as Atlantic bluefin tuna and other migratory species, represent highly valuable commercial resources characterised by complex ecological dynamics and international management frameworks.

The research is fully aligned with the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, contributing in particular to objectives related to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, food security, decent work, sustainable economic growth, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The research line also addresses national and European priorities concerning the Bioeconomy, natural resources, sustainable food systems, marine ecosystem conservation, and the enhancement of natural capital as a key driver of economic and social development.

Main Collaborations

The research line is based on an extensive network of national and international collaborations developed through joint research activities, monitoring programmes, scientific exchange, participation in collaborative initiatives, and interaction with marine resource management bodies. These collaborations enable the integration of biological, ecological, oceanographic, genetic, biochemical, and economic expertise, strengthening the interdisciplinary approach required to investigate fisheries as complex socio-ecological systems in which natural resources, markets, governance, and coastal communities are deeply interconnected.

Particular importance is attached to collaborations with international organisations involved in fish stock assessment and fisheries management, Mediterranean research institutes specialised in fisheries science and early life stage ecology, national and international universities active in marine biology, genetics, oceanography, and applied economics, as well as public institutions and technical agencies involved in environmental monitoring and the sustainable management of marine ecosystems.

In particular, the research line benefits from collaborations with:

• General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (FAO-GFCM)
• International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
• LUMSA University
• University of Palermo
• University of Catania
• University of Turin
• University of Florence
• Stanford University
• Ankara University Biotechnology Institute
• University of Malta
• Çukurova University
• Instituto Español de Oceanografía
• Mediterranean Fisheries Research Institute
• Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer
• NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center
• Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
• National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics
• ISPRA
• ARPA Sicilia
• Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology
• Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment

This collaborative network enables the integration of biological and ecological research with the operational needs of fisheries management, marine resource conservation, and economic analysis of production systems, fostering the generation of scientific knowledge applicable at local, national, and international scales.

Main Outputs

The main expected outputs of the research line include:

• Scientific publications in leading national and international peer-reviewed journals;
• Participation in national and European research funding programmes;
• Technical reports on fish stock assessment and the status of marine resources;
• Integrated biological, environmental, and economic databases;
• Indicators for assessing the biological, economic, and social sustainability of fisheries;
• Statistical models and analytical tools for estimating growth, age structure, and recruitment;
• Protocols for the morphological, genetic, and biochemical identification of eggs and larvae;
• Analyses of fish markets, price dynamics, international trade, and fisheries value chains;
• Decision support tools for sustainable fisheries management;
• Contributions to governance platforms, management plans, and policy strategies;
• Science communication and outreach products targeting citizens, schools, stakeholders, and coastal communities;
• Development of agreements and collaborations with universities, research institutions, public administrations, private partners, and fisheries sector stakeholders.