From the province-based Fish Management Plan to the first steps of a catchment-based Fish Management Plan in Sicily: the Ragusa experience.

ANTONINO DUCHI 

In Italy, the Fish Management Plan (FMP) is considered the fundamental document for the conservation and management of inland fish fauna and fisheries, as well as for the planning of the territory in which aquatic environments are located. There are two phases of the Fish Management Plan: the regional or provincial FMP and the catchment-based FMP. In Sicily, no catchment-based FMP had yet been activated. The first steps towards this have recently been taken in the province of Ragusa, in 2001-2024. Two river basins considered to be of particular interest have been monitored: Irminio and Tellesimo (a tributary of the Tellaro), where quantitative fish sampling and specific environmental monitoring have been carried out. This has made it possible to identify breeding areas for wild trout and to implement alternative sampling methods, such as snorkeling, which have already been introduced in the province of Ragusa. The persistence of previously reported sources of environmental impact has been monitored and new sources have been identified, such as the discharge of livestock manure, including at some river sites not previously monitored. A monitoring campaign on river litter was launched, both in the Irminio river basin and in the Tellesimo river sub-basin. The dry areas of watercourses were also monitored; for the first time, the digitisation and processing of fishing data was launched; environmental educational initiatives were carried out. The investigations led to the discovery of new sites where Sarmarutilus rubilio is present in the Irminio River. The first outcome of the activities carried out is a project aimed at surveying the transverse barriers along the Irminio River, in collaboration with the Italian Center of River Restoration (CIRF) and supported by Open Rivers Programme.