Acronym ACCOBAMS
Category
Fisheries
Title ACCOBAMS-GFCM Project on mitigating interactions between endangered marine species and fishing activities Programme International Cooperation
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator NA Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Italy)
Institutions involved
NA - ALNIKAT NGO (Spain) ,
CESTMed - Center for the Study and Safeguarding of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean (France) ,
CNRDPA - National Center And Search Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Algeria) ,
INRH - National Fisheries Research Institute (Morocco) ,
INSTM - National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (Tunisia) ,
IEO - Spanish Institute of Oceanography (Spain) ,
Start year 2015 End year 2017 Funding (€) € NA Website http://www.fao.org/gfcm/activities/technical-assistance-and-cooperation/mava-project/en/ Summary This project is coordinated by the Secretariats of the GFCM and of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), in collaboration with the Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and funded by the MAVA Foundation. The project had two objectives: 1) to learn more about how endangered marine species were being affected by fishing activities, and how fishers were being affected by incidental catches and depredation; and 2) to promote the introduction of fishing-tourism and opportunistic whale watching, as a way of generating additional income for fishers, reducing the fishing pressure on targeted fish stocks and, potentially, decreasing their negative interactions with endangered species. In this context, the project implemented eight pilot actions in selected fisheries to serve as practical case studies creating a base of preliminary information as a starting point, developed capacity-building and ecotourism initiatives and published outreach materials.
The main objectives of the project are:
1) to promote responsible fishing practices in the Mediterranean with a view to enhancing the conservation of cetaceans, sea turtles and seabirds, in particular by mitigating interactions with fisheries, considering both incidental catches and depredation issues, and
2) to raise awareness of fishers and civil society and demonstrate that fishers’ incomes could grow if traditional fishing is associated with ecotourism-oriented activities, such as the observation of wild marine fauna.
The first component of the project is implemented by relevant national institutions and NGOs through six pilot actions in selected fisheries of the central and western Mediterranean Sea (i.e. France, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) which aim at identifying the nature of such interactions and testing mitigations measures. Read more about the pilot actions.
The second component of the project aims to develop sustainable ecotourism activities based on the existing links between traditional fishing and the observation of the marine fauna according to international standards preventing the disruption and harassment of animals. This will place fishers in the role of responsible actors and "ambassadors" of the seas.
In order to ensure the wide dissemination of the project, results and lessons learnt, a third project component includes communication, capitalization of results and knowledge sharing.
Keywords
Fisheries management;
Sea turtles;
Bycatch;
Environmental impact;
Cetaceans;
Marine Region
54
Balearic Island (GSA 5)
55
Algeria (GSA 4)
53
Northern Spain (GSA 6)
72
Gulf of Hammamet (GSA 13)
69
Gulf of Gabes (GSA 14)
52
Northern Alboran Sea (GSA 1)
49
Gulf of Lions (GSA 7)
57
Southern Alboran Sea (GSA 3)
8
Marine Region Map
