Map of the Adriatic Sea

Pelagic species live in the middle of the water column (up close to the surface) and have very limited or no biological interaction with the sea bottom. Small pelagic fish usually live in dense shoals, making gear such as mid-water pelagic trawls and purse seines particularly efficient for their capture. The vast majority of small pelagic fisheries in the Adriatic target European anchovy and European sardine (counting for over 97 % of small pelagic catches). These fisheries may also catch other small pelagic species, such as mackerel and horse mackerel, but these are landed in small amounts. Valued at about €74 million, small pelagic landings account for almost one fifth of the total fish production in the Adriatic (2013).
For fisheries management purposes, the Adriatic Sea is usually divided in two geographical sub-areas (GSA), namely GSA 17 for the northern part and GSA 18 for the southern part (Figure 1), according to the sea partitioning system adopted by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).