From the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) we have resolved a new call for grants from the Pleamar Program aimed at promoting innovation and sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, and strengthening the protection of the Natura 2000 Network in the marine environment.

From the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) we are committed to the improvement of fishing and aquaculture activities in areas of the Natura 2000 Network and in other marine protected areas, through the generation of knowledge and the reinforcement of the management, recovery and monitoring of these spaces. counting on the collaboration of the fishermen for this. To this end, we have just resolved a new call for aid from the Pleamar Programme aimed at promoting innovation and sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, and thus strengthening the protection of the Natura 2000 Network in the marine environment.

With these grants, endowed with more than 6.3 million euros and co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the Biodiversity Foundation will support 30 new projects carried out by 27 entities, including research centres, universities, environmental non-profit organisations, sectoral organisations and local administrations.

The resolution of this call, the last within the current 2014-2020 programming period, reinforces the complementarity between funds and the involvement of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the protection and conservation of the marine environment in which they carry out their activity, in close connection with the LIFE INTEMARES project, which we coordinate from Fundación Biodiversidad, and aims to achieve a consolidated network of Natura 2000 marine areas managed in a sustainable way. effective and integrated, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as a basic tool for decision-making.

A large part of these projects are focused on promoting the improvement of fishing and aquaculture activities in areas of the Natura 2000 Network and in other marine protected areas, through the generation of knowledge and the reinforcement of the management, recovery and monitoring of these spaces, with the collaboration of fishermen.

Environmental innovation initiatives in the fisheries and aquaculture field are also supported, with collaboration between research centres, technology centres and universities and the sector’s own agents being essential.

Finally, in a third block, a series of projects focused on the promotion of networking, the reduction of marine pollution and environmental awareness are included.

The projects, which will be developed over the next eight months, will allow, for example, to make fishing compatible with the conservation of different species such as the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), different species of seabirds, such as the shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) or various species of gorgonians and soft corals, such as Eunicella cavolinii. They will also help to minimise the impact of fishing on benthic habitats, increase the sustainability of aquaculture plants or reduce marine pollution, for example by developing responsible fishing net management systems or analysing the impact of abandoned tyres on the natural environment. Another key aspect of the projects will be a greater commitment to environmental awareness in the marine environment.

PLEAMAR PROGRAM

With the resolution of these grants from the Pleamar Programme, five calls have already been resolved, allowing the co-financing of a total of 211 projects, allocating nearly 24 million euros for this purpose.

These projects have made it possible to reduce the number of by-catches and deepen the use of discards, promote the protection and recovery of marine biodiversity, support the collection of marine litter with the collaboration of fishermen, improve the knowledge, management and protection of Spanish marine protected areas, promote advice on environmental matters and strengthen collaboration between the scientific community. the fishing sector and environmental organizations, among others.

The Pleamar Programme will continue in the new 2021-2027 programming period within the framework of the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), redoubling its objective of supporting the fisheries and aquaculture sector in its commitment to increasingly sustainable activities, reducing marine pollution and promoting the ecological transition to improve knowledge and protection. conservation and restoration of the marine environment.