Activities > Technical assistance and cooperation > ACCOBAMS-GFCM project (2015–2017)

This project is coordinated by the Secretariats of the GFCM and of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), in collaboration with the Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and funded by the MAVA Foundation.

The main objectives of the project are:

1) to promote responsible fishing practices in the Mediterranean with a view to enhancing the conservation of cetaceans, sea turtles and seabirds, in particular by mitigating interactions with fisheries, considering both incidental catches and depredation issues, and

2) to raise awareness of fishers and civil society and demonstrate that fishers’ incomes could grow if traditional fishing is associated with ecotourism-oriented activities, such as the observation of wild marine fauna.

The first component of the project is implemented by relevant national institutions and NGOs through six pilot actions in selected fisheries of the central and western Mediterranean Sea (i.e. France, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) which aim at identifying the nature of such interactions and testing mitigations measures. Read more about the pilot actions

The second component of the project aims to develop sustainable ecotourism activities based on the existing links between traditional fishing and the observation of the marine fauna according to international standards preventing the disruption and harassment of animals. This will place fishers in the role of responsible actors and "ambassadors" of the seas.

In order to ensure the wide dissemination of the project, results and lessons learnt, a third project component includes communication, capitalization of results and knowledge sharing.

Links

Report of the Kick-off meeting (7–8 April 2015, Tunis, Tunisia)

Report of the Training workshop on technical measures to mitigate interactions of endangered species with fisheries and to reduce post-capture mortality (14-16 September 2015, Barcelona, Spain)

Access the project workspace [Pilot actions’ coordinators only]

Partners of the project

Alnitak, Spain

CESTMed, France

CNRDPA, Algeria

IEO, Spain

INSTM, Tunisia

INRH, Morocco