Fish stocks said declining in the Adriatic

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ROME, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Sardines and anchovies are disappearing from the Adriatic as a result of poor fishery management, Greenpeace said while urging sustainable fishing practices.

The environmental watchdog's report focused on Chioggia, one of the largest fishing ports in the Mediterranean, and Pila di Porto Tolle in Veneto. Together, the two ports "supply a considerable proportion of the Italian sardine and anchovy market all year round" and also "export catches to other countries," Italy's ANSA news agency reported Friday.

Fish populations in the north and central Adriatic have declined largely during the last 40 years because the Italian government has allowed an increase in the number and capacity of authorized boats and issued "experimental" licenses, Greenpeace said.

The Greenpeace report urged European governments and the European parliament to adopt laws to guarantee fish stocks can be naturally replenished.