Fishing activity with bottom trawlers is prohibited in these FRAs in order to the conserve and manage demersal stocks, including European hake and deep-water rose shrimp. The three FRAs cover a total area of 1 698 km2 (on average 566 km each with a mean depth of 280 m, ranging from 20 to more than 1 700 m). The proposed areas were selected on the basis of the extensive scientific knowledge on the importance and stability of the nursery areas found, on the ecological and biological particularity of the areas for critical life history stages of commercial stocks, and on the long history of overfishing of demersal resources in the northern sector of the Strait of Sicily. Vessels authorized to fish in zone B are subject to fishing effort restrictions.