The Apulian marine ecosystem obtains a regulatory shield that is fundamental for its survival. The Puglia Regional Council has in fact approved by a large majority – recording only two contrary opinions – the text of the law which officially extends the biological closure for sea urchin fishing (technically called Paracentrotus lividus) until June 30, 2029.
This new regulatory scheme arises from an in-depth cycle of consultations developed within the Fourth Council Commission. The process saw the active cooperation of the University of Salento, Arpa Puglia, the Maritime Directorate and the Guardia di Finanza, working in synergy with trade unions, trade associations and delegations of professional fishermen.
The clash with the government over the first rule
The original political push is due to regional councilor Paolo Pagliaro of Fratelli d’Italia, promoter of the first historic proposal voted unanimously on 28 March 2023 and officially entered into force on 5 May of the same year. That first law imposed a three-year block on extractive activities in territorial waters, even overcoming an appeal by the national government.
The Roman executive had in fact challenged the text before the Constitutional Court, raising a conflict of competences on environmental protection. However, with sentence number 16 of 2024, the constitutional judges rejected the appeal, blocking the Region’s ability to enact more stringent local measures to protect species at risk.
The results of the first three years
The need to extend the stop emerged from the analysis of biological data collected from 2023 to today. Although there has been an encouraging increase in more mature specimens, biologists confirm that total repopulation requires a long time, due to the scourge of illegal fishing and underground markets for illegal commercialization. The current law strictly prohibits the collection, detention, landing and transport of local urchins, only allowing the sale of traced products from outside the region.
The rules of the new monitoring
The regulatory system introduces innovative tools to manage the fish resource in a balanced way. A permanent scientific monitoring system is established coordinated by a specific technical-scientific table which will bring together researchers, control authorities and fishermen. The real novelty lies in the flexibility of the law: if the data on repopulation prove favorable, the department will be able to activate experimental programs of quota withdrawal. This temporary and strictly scheduled exemption will be the exclusive prerogative of professional fishermen with regular authorization, thus balancing the protection of biodiversity with the economic stability of the Apulian maritime sector.
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