For fishermen across Africa’s northern coast, the Mediterranean is no longer the life-giving sea it once was. Plastic pollution (730 tons dumped daily) chokes their nets, while industrial trawlers strip the waters bare, leaving little for small-scale fishers. Sewage and coastal destruction worsen the crisis, turning thriving fishing grounds into near-wastelands. Governments are responding—Egypt plans shoreline protections and plastic reduction, while Algeria plans to digitize monitoring of fishing activity. Similarly, global efforts like the High Seas Treaty and over $1 billion in funding for ocean protection offer hope. Yet, fishermen remain skeptical, claiming they are excluded from real action. They warn that without giving local communities the tools to protect their waters, nothing will be achieved.
DW
