OPERATION SISO
PROTECTING THE WATERS OF
ITALY'S AEOLIAN ISLANDS
In September 2018, Sea Shepherd launched Operation Siso in partnership with Italian authorities and support from the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund and Smile Wave to tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Aeolian Archipelago. On the first campaign, Sea Shepherd’s vessel M/V Sam Simon together with Lipari’s Coast Guard, Milazzo’s Revenue and Customs Authorities, and with the collaboration of artisanal fishermen, confiscated 52 FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) and 100 kilometers of polypropylene line in the Aeolian Islands in 178 hours. Each year since then, Sea Shepherd has returned to the Mediterranean Sea to focus on the use of illegal driftnets and other deadly fishing gear off the west coast of Italy.
In August 2020 HPI started the first evaluation flights together with Sea Shepherd, having searched and found illegal fishing operations, including FADs, north of Sicily from the air. As the first flights were very successful HPI is looking very much forward to continuing the cooperation with Sea Shepherd.
With another flight October 4, 2021 together with Andrea Morello (left), President of Sea Shepherd Italy and Fulvio Mamone Capria, Chief Secretary Minister of the Ministero Della Transizione Ecologica (on the right, together with our pilot Manos Radisoglou) HPI could show its ability to support the fight for a more sustainable and eco-friendly maritime world.