The practice envisages the establishment of a visionary and coordinated scientific network to promote operational EAF initiatives. It will be created by the scientific community following a bottom-up approach in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The EMBASEAS will have the objective of promoting the Ecosystem-based Approach to Fisheries in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The network will be independent in its functions, but will keep close contact to other relevant regional bodies, such as GFCM, FAO, the EU Joint Research Centre, as well as to non-governmental organizations promoting EAF. The network should identify key objectives and topics in the field of EAF, and develop an action plan related to that. The scientific network should also aim to promote the coordination of scientific activities, so as to combine the advantages of local initiatives with the reach of the regional vision. This would create a synergy and facilitate the use of innovative tools such as models, indicators, scenarios, and other integrative tools.
Questions this practice may help answer
- What role can the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries have in the Common Fisheries Policy?
- How can the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries be integrated into the fisheries sector?
implementation Context
In the Mediterranean and Black Seas region, recent years have witnessed an increase in spatial analyses of ecological and socioeconomic data with the aim of contributing to the integrative knowledge that we have on ecosystems and how to best to advance towards sustainable management and habitat protection. However, spatial analyses in the region have mainly been carried out in the context of MPAs and no-take zones. Therefore, there is a need to adopt a more integrative view of the spatial dimension by including other areas, taking into account scientific gaps when performing spatial analyses, including information at different scales. New analyses should include the spatial extent of different, and sometimes conflicting, human activities. A regional scientific EAF initiative could contribute towards the coordination and analyses of data in a spatial framework, and could integrate important lessons from successful local case studies to inform EAF regionally.
aspects / Objectives
The EMBASEAS will have the objective of promoting the Ecosystem-based Approach to Fisheries in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The ultimate goal of the network should be to link management advice to good scientific information, thus creating a knowledge-based management approach.
Method
The network will begin with a coordination of the actions of scientists in the field of promoting the scientific approach of EAF and providing support for the development of science for EAF in the region. The network will promote concrete scientific actions considering available data, tools, and initiatives at different geographic scales to improve process-based ecological knowledge in the area. The initiative will identify, document, and promote successful case studies in the region. This will facilitate the development of links between scientists, policy makers, and other users of the sea, taking into account the best territorial management approach. Other potential immediate activities include the documentation of initiatives, the sharing of knowledge, the improvement of the capabilities of the scientific community and stakeholders, and the establishment of mechanisms to disseminate knowledge to end users.
Main Outputs / Results
Established scientific network to promote operational EAF activities in the Mediterranean and Black Seas regions and to coordinate activities with respect to EAF.
Transferability
The project and, therefore, the practice have a particular regional focus, namely the regions surrounding the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The EMBASEAS, however, can serve as a model for the promotion of EAF and be replicated in other regions as well.
Contact Person
Dunixi Gabiña
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, IAMZCIHEAM (Spain)
Av.Montañana 1005
50059, Zaragoza, Spain
Phone : +34 976716000,
Fax: +34 976716001
E-mail: iamz@iamz.ciheam.org
Responsible Entity
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, IAMZCIHEAM
Av.Montañana 1005
50059, Zaragoza, Spain
Phone : +34 976716000,
Fax: +34 976716001
Website: http://www.iamz.ciheam.org/