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Spain, Italy and Tunisia make progress in exchanging scientific knowledge on artisanal fishing in trawl-free areas

Seminar at the University of Genoa

Spain, Italy and Tunisia make progress in exchanging scientific knowledge on artisanal fishing in trawl-free areas

  • Scientists from the Scientific Research Council Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC), the Tunisian National Institute of Marine Science and Technology, and the University of Genoa have held a joint seminar as part of the European Union ECOSAFIMED project in the ENPI CBC MED Programme.
  • The initiative is co-ordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation and promotes sustainable practices in artisanal fisheries and the conservation of marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Basin.
Wednesday, 30 April, 2014

Spain, Italy and Tunisia have held a joint seminar at the University of Genoa as part of the ECOSAFIMED project in the ENPI Mediterranean Basin Programme, with progress made in exchanging scientific knowledge on artisanal fishing practices in trawl-free areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment is co-ordinating this cross-border initiative through the Biodiversity Foundation, with involvement from the Scientific Research Council Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC), the Tunisian National Institute of Marine Science and Technology, and the University of Genoa.

Scientists from all three organisations taking part in the seminar, from 28 to 30 April, analysed various technical aspects of the ECOSAFIMED project (“Towards Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Artisanal Fisheries in the Mediterranean Basin”), which forms part of the ENPI Mediterranean Basin Programme, and is aimed at generating scientific recommendations for sustainability in the Mediterranean Sea.

Experts attending the seminar defined the areas of study where the necessary surveys will be carried out to define the possible impacts of artisanal fishing on benthic communities. In the case of Spain, these areas are in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands; in Italy, they are in Lazio and Sicily; and in Tunisia, the regions of Nabeul, Ariana and Jendouba will be studied. Experts have also been working on defining a sampling protocol to be used in each of the selected areas.

The scientists have also defined the mètiers to be evaluated in each area, i.e. the combination of using a particular fishing method to catch a species in a particular area. In Spain and Italy, trammel net and longline fishing will be studied, and in Tunisia creel fishing and lobster will be analysed.

Finally, participants at the meeting have been analysing the current state of information relating to the various activities to be developed within the framework of the project, and have planned the sampling strategy for the campaigns, which will be carried out using an underwater robot (ROV).

ARTISANAL FISHING AND ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION

With a budget of €1.9 million, the ECOSAFIMED project promotes responsible fishing practices and communication between researchers and the artisanal fishing sector, with the aim of helping to conserve marine ecosystems. The ultimate objective of the project is to produce a series of recommendations for managing the artisanal fisheries studied in the Mediterranean, to ensure their compatibility with good conservation practices for marine habitats.

The project also seeks to identify valuable areas to be proposed as Protected Marine Areas under the auspices of European directives and/or the Barcelona Convention.

ECOSAFIMED is one of the 39 projects to have received funding from the 1,095 projects presented at the second call for the 2007-2013 ENPI CBC MED Programme.

THE ENPI BCC MED PROGRAMME

The ENPI Mediterranean Basin Programme is a cross-border co-operation initiative that forms part of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The programme’s aim is to promote co-operation between regions on both shores of the Mediterranean, in order to tackle common challenges and assess endogenous potentials.

A total of 14 countries, representing 76 regions and close to 110 million inhabitants, have benefited from the programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, the Palestinian Authority, Portugal, Spain, Syria and Tunisia.

The programme has a budget of €200 million, funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, and the contribution to each project amounts to a maximum of 90 per cent of the total cost.

The projects funded deal with a range of issues relating to promoting socioeconomic and territorial development: supporting innovation and research; sustainable development and energy efficiency throughout the Mediterranean Basin; improving conditions and the various forms of movement of persons, goods and capital; and promoting dialogue between cultures and forms of governance.

Information on the ECOSAFIMED project and the ENPI CBC MED Programme is available on the ENPI CBC MED and EuropeAid Office of Development and Cooperation websites.

This publication was produced with financial support from the European Union, in the framework of the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Basin Programme. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Biodiversity Foundation and do not under any circumstance reflect the position of the European Union or the Programme’s management structures.