offshore), three in Italy (Val d’Agri in the southern region of Basili- cata, Abruzzo, offshore, and in the lower Adriatic Sea off Brindisi) (EEA and UNEP 1999), and very considerable reserves in the Le- vantine Basin Province (Schenk et al. 2010).

The active trade and distribution of oil and gas in the Mediter- ranean Basin, both on land and at sea, involves an extensive net- work of crude oil pipelines and gas line systems, mainly in the

countries of production, linking their oilfields to their refineries and port terminals or to other countries.

Fisheries Fishing is an important issue for the Mediterranean. Although it puts only a relatively small quantity of produce on the market compared with the demand, it is a significant source of employment and an important component of the Mediterranean cultural identity. It ac-

34

STATE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MARINE AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENT