GOUV’AIRNANCE start of the project (France, Spain, Lebanon, Jordan)

GOUV’AIRNANCE start of the project (France, Spain, Lebanon, Jordan)

Source: MedGov.net

The launching meeting of the GOUV’AIRNANCE project was held in Tripoli the 17, 18 and 19 April 2012. Organized by the urban community Al Fayhaa, in collaboration with the Institute for the Mediterranean, this event signs the start of the project. There was the occasion to have a rewarding meeting and a concrete change of the state of the quality of the air and the surveillance dispositive nowadays in the partner territories: Tripoli, Aqaba, Valence, Marseille. The meeting  permitted also the sharing of information between local  actors, central authorities, universities and international institutes operating in Liban  in the battle against the air pollution.

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Challenges and opportunities of maritime and coastal tourism: public consultation launched today

Challenges and opportunities of maritime and coastal tourism: public consultation launched today

Reblogged from Coastal & MarinE-News:

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Source: DG MARE, EC

Tourism is undoubtedly an economic backbone of coastal regions. At present about 2.36 million people are employed in the coastal tourism sector, representing 1.1% total EU employment.

Cruise tourism alone represents a distinct segment generating direct turnover of € 14.5 billion and nearly 150,000 jobs. At the same time, this sector faces specific challenges, such as seasonality (dependency on the sun and beach tourism), lack of skilled professionals and of innovation culture and growing external competition.

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Forum of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean, 25-28 November, Antalya, Turkey

Forum of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean, 25-28 November, Antalya, Turkey

This Forum aims to be a platform for exchanges between managers, scientists, policymakers and economic players of the Mediterranean’s Marine Protected Areas.

One of the Forum’s objective is to develop recommendations and a strategic roadmap to guide the actions to be implemented by 2020 and move towards a coherent and well-managed MPA network.
For more information on the Forum’s objectives, please refer to the concept note.

Meetings and discussions will be organised in several ways (plenary sessions, workshops, special sessions, exhibition stands, etc..) in order to stimulate exchanges and allow the various stakeholders present to express their views.

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Enhanced skills on ICZM and climate change of Mediterranean local authorities and civil organizations: outcome from LitusGo project

Enhanced skills on ICZM and climate change of Mediterranean local authorities and civil organizations: outcome from LitusGo project

Pafos, Cyprus

LitusGo aimed at filling this training gap through the development of a well-structured, innovative, interactive, work-linked vocational training programme, directly focused on Mediterranean Local Authorities and NGOs and through them to practitioners, tuned to accommodate Mediterranean particularities and needs especially in touristic coastal areas. The methodology was based on problem solving.

This EC Leonardo funded project, which counted with EUCC participation providing know-how, held the final event last 24/4/2012 in Pafos, Cyprus.

LitusGo Products
The educational package is user-friendly and consists of autonomous, self-contained modules, focusing on  proposing solutions to problems. It has two forms: a paper version and a web-version. The web-version incorporates a simple wiki application within the training documents. The dedicated website is hosting the web-package and includes, apart from information, a forum and an e-alarm-news facility. The methodology that has been implemented is presented in a guide. All the products have been tested and finalised during the project and are available for general use by interested actors. Information leaflets and posters have supported the work throughout. Seminars and 2 Stakeholder workshops were organised and all material translated into English, Greek, Maltese and Turkish.

Learn more at LitusGo website

España aspira a mantener cerca de 1.800 millones de euros del Fondo Marítimo Pesquero

España aspira a mantener cerca de 1.800 millones de euros del Fondo Marítimo Pesquero

Fuente: magrama.gob.es

El Ministro de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Miguel Arias Cañete, ha defendido hoy en Bruselas que la participación de España en el Fondo Marítimo Europeo y de la Pesca “se mantenga en los niveles que hemos tenido en el pasado, que ha sido del 26%, de tal forma que podamos aspirar a unas cifras muy próximas a los 1.800 millones de euros en el nuevo periodo de programación”.

A la entrada del Consejo Europeo de Política Pesquera, Arias Cañete ha destacado que el Fondo Marítimo Europeo y de la Pesca “es un instrumento de enorme importancia para España por lo que nos parece razonable que la Comisión haya conseguido en las propuestas iniciales situar un escenario presupuestario superior a los 6.500 millones de euros, cifra que nosotros consideramos aceptable”. Ahora, ha completado el ministro, “tenemos que analizar los criterios de reparto”.

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Appel à communication du groupe d’histoire des zones humides

Appel à communication du groupe d’histoire des zones humides

Source: Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory

Colloque “Les Zones Humides Méditerranéennes hier et aujourd’hui”, 20-22 septembre 2012

Dans le cadre de ce colloque inte rnational à venir en Italie (Padoue) en septembre 2012, le Groupe d’histoire des zones humides et l’université de Padoue appellent les propositions de communication. La date limite de dépôt des candidatures est prolongée jusqu’au 30 mai 2012.

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EU to press for improved fisheries management in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

EU to press for improved fisheries management in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

Source: DG MARE, EC

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) will meet in Morocco, Marrakesh from 14 to 19 May 2012. The European Commission represents the EU at the meeting.

The agenda includes the review of the work concerning the Black Sea, advice on fisheries conservation and management, and the cooperation with other international partner organisations. The GFCM will also discuss the future role of the Task Force, established in 2011 to modernise the GFCM and its institutional and legal framework. The Task Force’s work carried out so far will be validated at a dedicated meeting on 11-12 May.

The EU intends to table a number of proposals:

  • conservation and management measures for red coral, sharks and cetaceans, in line with the scientific advice of the GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee;
  • a set of minimum standards for fisheries management in the Black Sea;
  • guidelines for an improved decision making framework and presentation of scientific information for multiannual management plans.

The EU hopes that through close coordination and cooperation with the non-EU partners the joint measures are agreed to improve sustainability of fishing activities and to preserve the environmental richness of the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

The GFCM is a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation for the Mediterranean and Black Sea and connecting waters. It has 24 members, including the EU and 9 EU member states (Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain). Japan, Russia, Georgia and Ukraine are observers.

First thematic Film Festival in Europe dedicated to the sea: MAREMOSTRA

First thematic Film Festival in Europe dedicated to the sea: MAREMOSTRA

MAREMOSTRA is the first thematic Film Festival in Europe dedicated to the SEA from all genres (Fiction, Documentary, Fantasy, Feature Film, Short Film,…) and from all points of view (Science, Activism, Sport, Commercial Film, Gastronomy). MAREMOSTRA Festival will become the reference film event in Palma de Mallorca and the Balearic Islands thanks to firm support of the City of Palma and all the collaborators and sponsors of the initiative. It will present Palma as the hub and meeting point for filmmakers, artists, scientists, activists, athletes and chefs during this week dedicated to FILM and SEA.

The Festival is organized by four private entities. SOL VISUALS (Media Production House), IDIMAR (Marine Innovations Business Cluster), CLAB (Balearic Islands Audiovisual Cluster) and the Mallorca Film Commission. This initiative is non-profit, privately financed and made possible by the resources and contributions from institutions and private companies who support us and understand this event as a great promotion for their brand image. Maremostra is an excellent opportunity to associate one’s brand image to values such as culture, environment, ocean conservation, etc …

In addition to the various actions we perform, tailored to each sponsor (MICROSOFT Event, CANAL + Event, …) the festival offers multiple advertising media and image support to companies interested in partnering and linking to our brand and use it as a platform to project their own messages and image.

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France: The Calanques National Park becomes a reality!

France: The Calanques National Park becomes a reality!

En vau ©GIP des Calanques

Source: MedPan

On Wednesday 18th of April, French Prime Minister, François FILLON signed the decree creating the Calanques National Park which is the 1st periurban park created in Europe, the 10th French National Park and the 1st National Park created in mainland France since 1979. The Calanques National Park is a biodiversity hotspot of the Mediterranean.

The Calanques site is a unique landscape, natural and cultural heritage, and represents a significant reservoir of terrestrial and marine biodiversity. About 140 protected species have been recorded in this site, including one of the last couples of Bonelli Eagles in France. The marine environment in the Calanques is also outstanding with 60 heritage species recorded (grouper, different dolphin species and marine turtles…).

The Calanques National Park is above all a maritime park with 90% of its surface area covered by the sea.
It meets the objectives of the National Strategy for the Creation and Management of Marine Protected Areas, adopted the same day by the Ministry of the Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transports and Housing, and the Sea.

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