The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) allocates 4.3 million euros to support 47 projects that will work to strengthen the sustainability of fishing and aquaculture activities in our country. In total, 34 entities will develop these projects, which will be co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Among the types of beneficiary entities, research centres and universities, environmental non-profit organisations, sectoral organisations and local administrations stand out.
The resolution of this call 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 aims to achieve a consolidated network of Natura 2000 marine areas managed in an effective and integrated way. with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as a basic tool for decision-making.
COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION IN THE SECTOR
Environmental innovation plays a fundamental role in both the fisheries and aquaculture fields and a significant part of the resources of this call will be allocated to it, with collaboration between research centres, technology centres and universities and the agents of the sector themselves being essential.
The improvement of fishing and aquaculture activities in areas of the Natura 2000 Network and other marine protected areas and the reinforcement of the management, recovery and monitoring of these spaces, constitutes the second pillar of this call and a third block includes a whole series of projects focused on the provision of environmental advisory services, the promotion of networking, the reduction of marine litter and environmental awareness.
The projects, which will be carried out over the next 12 months, will allow, among other issues, to make fishing compatible with the conservation of different species such as the shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the tarpon and the saboga (Alosa alosa and Alosa fallax) or various species of gorgonians and deep-sea corals, such as the (Eunicella cavolinii). minimising the impact of fishing on the marine environment thanks to the development of artificial intelligence technologies, increasing the sustainability of aquaculture plants by combining production with the generation of floating wind energy, favouring the circular economy, improving the conservation of seagrass meadows (Zostera noltei) or making women’s work visible
shellfish gatherers.
With the resolution of this call, the Pleamar Programme has co-financed a total of 181 projects to date, with a contribution of nearly 18 million euros, collaborating with more than 70 organisations from different fields.
PLEAMAR PROGRAM
The Pleamar Programme of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is an initiative of the Biodiversity Foundation to support the sustainability of the Spanish fisheries and aquaculture sector, in the context of the blue economy, which is being developed in the 2014-2020 programming period of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Thanks to this Programme, projects aimed at the protection and recovery of marine biodiversity are promoted; the reduction and management of waste and garbage at sea; the improvement of knowledge and management of Spanish Marine Protected Areas, with a special focus on the Natura 2000 Network; the reduction of by-catches and the use of discards, aquaculture sustainability and the strengthening of collaboration between the community
and the fishing and aquaculture sector, among others.
The Pleamar Programme, co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, will mobilise around 27 million euros until 2023 through calls for grants, thanks to which it is expected to support more than 250 projects.
