Michele Picaro, an Italian MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, has urged the European Commission to renew the transparent goby management plan for the Gulf of Manfredonia, warning that failure to do so would harm over 120 fishers, 60 vessels, and related local businesses. In a parliamentary question submitted on 29 June 2026, Picaro stressed the socio-economic importance of this traditional seasonal fishery for the local community and maritime economy.
The question follows reports that scientists reviewing the proposed plan consider it an improvement over current arrangements but have requested further assessments from DG MARE. Picaro asks whether the Commission will take into account the socio-economic role of the fishery and what additional technical conditions or management measures are needed for the 2025-2028 plan to be renewed.
The transparent goby fishery is a key economic activity in Manfredonia, and its renewal is seen as critical for local employment. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal whether socio-economic considerations will be weighed alongside scientific assessments. The question highlights a tension between conservation requirements and the livelihoods of small-scale fishers, with potential impacts on local communities and the fishing industry in the region.