The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has held the ninth day of knowledge transfer and exchange of the Pleamar Programme. The aim of this meeting was to reflect and debate on the characteristics that projects should have and to present the results of 12 initiatives co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) selected in the calls launched in the 2017-2021 period. These projects have stood out for their active collaboration with the fishing sector, a correct justification and technical and budgetary execution and an outstanding communication with impact. The projects that have been considered exemplary belong to the different lines of action of the Pleamar Programme: promotion of innovation in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, creation of networks, protection of marine protected areas, waste management and environmental awareness. Both the declaration of the Decade of Ocean Science 2021-2027 and the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 by the United Nations World Organization, highlight the need to promote solutions to the environmental challenges facing the marine environment through the generation of scientific knowledge and the implementation of an economic model that takes into account the existing limits in the natural environment. In this way, the Biodiversity Foundation works to support the fishing sector in its commitment to sustainability, through the Pleamar Programme, generating synergies between public and private agents, favouring collaboration between entities in the scientific, environmental and business fields in order to strengthen their involvement with the protection and conservation of the marine environment in which they carry out their activity. Elena Pita, director of the Biodiversity Foundation, highlighted at the opening of the conference the key moment we are experiencing in terms of ecological transition and the challenges we face to achieve the sustainability of socio-economic activities. Thus, he stressed that the Biodiversity Foundation will give continuity to the Pleamar Program in the new programming period of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEMPA), with the publication of two new calls with a total endowment of 29 million euros. The session began with a first round table where four exemplary innovation projects and protected areas were presented. The following projects have participated in this roundtable: ACUFLOT, from the Environmental Hydraulics Institute of Cantabria Foundation; BAJUREC, from Paisaje Limpio; Landerpick, from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC); and Ártabro, from the Center for University Extension and Environmental Dissemination of Galicia. In another block of the day, the most outstanding results of the MITICAP and RESCAP projects of the Institute of Marine Sciences were presented; RE-MAR, from the Amicos Association; REDAQUA, of the Aquaculture Cluster and AQUIPLUS. In terms of exemplary awareness-raising, waste and network projects, the following projects have participated: REDMAR, of the Foundation for Fisheries and Shellfish (FUNDAMAR); RED-USE, from CEPESCA; NEUMATICOUT, from the University of Alcalá; and The Blue Robot Project, from FEDEPESCA. All the participants in the session have participated in a dynamic to respond to three very specific questions. Firstly, they discussed the characteristics that a project of the Pleamar Programme must have in order to be considered exemplary.

Secondly, we have reflected on how the Biodiversity Foundation can support the execution of exemplary projects. And, finally, they have identified some keys for the beneficiary entities to be able to execute exemplary projects. The main conclusions of the conference highlight the importance of a good design of projects, with specific objectives and clear results, together with flexible execution planning, which allows actions to be adapted during the development of projects. In the execution phase, the monitoring role played by the technical team of the Biodiversity Foundation and the need to strengthen dialogue with the entities have been highly valued, as well as the importance of generating synergies between projects. Looking ahead to the new period, the role that groups of beneficiary entities can play in promoting more transformative projects with a greater impact in the face of the new European Maritime Fund for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EMFAF) has been highlighted

EUROPEAN MARITIME FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE FUND (FEMPA)

The Biodiversity Foundation has been included in the Operational Programme of the European Maritime Fund for Fisheries and Aquaculture (FEMPA), A new period that will allow: to strengthen aspects related to the protection and improvement of knowledge of the marine environment through research; strengthen governance, reduce the impact of fishing and, in addition, improve environmental knowledge of aquaculture. To this end, the aspects of collaboration between agents from the scientific, sectoral and environmental world will be reinforced with actions linked to protection, research in governance and the improvement of knowledge of marine ecosystems. Likewise, various improvements will be incorporated in the administrative and economic management of the projects that, having a more transformative approach, can be developed over several years. On the other hand, the internal management aspects will be simplified for the first call of the Pleamar Programme within the framework of the FEMPA, which is scheduled to be published in 2023, and will have a financial endowment of 14.5 million euros.