L'?impatto della pesca a strascico sulla diversità delle comunità demersali dello Stretto di Sicilia

The effects of the commercial trawl fishing on the biodiversity of the demersal community in three zones of the Strait of Sicily under different fishing pressure were analysed. Data were avalilable from a total of 62 hauls carried out annually in autumn 1997 and 1998, between 250 and 350 meters. The results indicate that different levels of fishing pressure on the three investigated areas, influence the structure of the demersal assemblages and in the diversity indices. The diversity indices calculeted only on bony fishes seems a good metric to evaluate the fishing impact.