One of the objectives of the MISTIC SEAS project is to develop an action plan to guide the competent authorities of the three archipelagos of Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira) in improving the adequacy, coordination and coherence of actions for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Last November, at a meeting in Madrid, a draft action plan was presented, discussed and designed, and is now being put up for consultation by stakeholders and the general public. The aim of this consultation is to receive input and suggestions from all potential contributors and users of the sea (scientific community, NGOs, private sector, civil society, etc.).
The consultation will be open until 10 February 2017. The documents (in English and Spanish) can be found here. Any comments or suggestions should be sent by email to the following address: bzn-estrategiasmarinas@magrama.es
A final report will be prepared with the contributions received, as well as an explanation of how they have been incorporated, and will be published on the project website. The final action plan will also be available on this website, once it is adopted by the competent authorities.
About MISTIC SEAS
The project MYSTICAL SEAS “Indicators and Standard Criteria for the Macaronesian Islands: Towards the Establishment of Common Bases for the Monitoring of Marine Biodiversity in Macaronesia” aims to design a common methodology for the monitoring of marine biodiversity in the Macaronesia region, one of the most biodiverse areas in Europe, focusing on populations of cetacean, turtle and seabird species and establishing a common roadmap to improve coordination in the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Spain and Portugal (Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands).
The project, co-financed by the European Commission and implemented by the European Commission, is currently being implemented from December 2015 to February 2017, is coordinated by the Regional Fund for Science and Technology (Regional Government of the Azores) and has as partners the Regional Directorate for Marine Affairs (Regional Government of the Azores), the Regional Secretariat for Environment and Natural Resources (Regional Government of Madeira), the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services of the Government of Portugal, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment of Spain through the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea, the Biodiversity Foundation, and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.
