Fisheries activity in the Bizerta lagoon (South Mediterranean Sea) from the 18th to the 21st century

Abstract

The Bizerte lagoon is characterized by its biological diversity and its wealth of species with high commercial values such as cuttlefish, seabass, seabream, mussels, prawn, and sole, and its fisheries provide employment for fishermen in the area. Indeed, artisanal fishing in the lagoon has been practiced for decades using traps, nets, and mobile gears such as straight nets and lines. The present paper focuses on the diagnosis of the fisheries’ status in this area. This allows us to reflect on the exploitation of the species caught in the Bizerte lagoon since the18th century. Large-scale hydraulic works taking place during the 20th century resulted in a reduction in the water volume inputs, inevitably affecting the fishing activity in the lagoon which we intend to analyze in the present work.