The partners of the ECOSAFIMED Project of the ENPI CBC MED programme have met in Barcelona with associated entities after the fifth meeting of the Project Management Committee. This was the first meeting in which the partners were able to take stock of the activities carried out after 18 months of project implementation in the 6 study areas to assess the impact of artisanal fishing on Mediterranean benthic communities.
 
During the meeting, which was attended by the director of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Sonia Castañeda, the preliminary results obtained from on-board surveys and oceanographic campaigns carried out in Tunisia, Spain and Italy during 2014 and 2015 were assessed. In addition, they exchanged views on recommendations for the signing of agreements with fishermen for responsible fisheries and on the development and guidelines for sustainable fisheries management.
 
The partners have also provided some evidence on the presence of areas of high ecological value for conservation in the areas of study of the project that could be proposed as marine protected areas under the European Directives and/or the Barcelona Convention.

In conclusion, the partners reiterated their commitment to fully collaborate with partners to support and integrate the results achieved into their programmes and activities. In particular, the development of guidelines for the sustainable management of artisanal fisheries based on scientific evidence. This support reinforces the high potential for impact and replicability of the project, to which the partners can contribute significantly through dissemination to public institutions, fishermen and the general public in the Mediterranean basin and globally.
 
Different entities dedicated to the protection and improvement of the marine environment and sustainable development in the Mediterranean participate as partners in the ECOSAFIT project. From the beginning of the project, they committed to collaborate to promote the exchange of information and strengthen the project’s contribution to the implementation of the EU Directives and the Barcelona Convention.
 
Project partners include national and international organizations, including the Regional Activity Centre for Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), the Secretariat of the FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the Mediterranean Protected Area Managers Network (MedPAN), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain, the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Tunisia, the Institute for the Marine and Coastal Environment of Messina (Italy), the Tunisian Union for Fisheries and Agriculture and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).