TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

REPORT OF THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE COPEMED II COORDINATION COMMITTEE

3-4 May 2012 Malaga, Spain

CopeMed II Technical Documents Nº27 (GCP/INT/028/SPA – GCP/INT/006/EC)

REPORT OF THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE COPEMED II

COORDINATION COMMITTEE

3-4 May 2012 Málaga, Spain

June 2012

The conclusions and recommendations given in this document and in other documents in the Co-ordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central

Mediterranean CopeMed II Project series are those considered appropriate at the time of preparation. They may be modified in the light of further knowledge gained in subsequent stages of the Project. The designation employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of FAO, the Government of Spain or the Commission of the EU concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or concerning the determination of its frontiers or boundaries. This document has been financed by the European Union and Spain. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union or Spain.

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Preface The CopeMed II Project, Co-ordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean is executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and funded by the Government of Spain, represented by the Secretaría General de Pesca, and the European Union, represented by the European Commission (EC). The objective of the project is to maintain the sustainability of the marine fisheries, including artisanal fisheries, in the central and western Mediterranean Sea and its ecosystem, taking into consideration environmental, biological, economic, social and institutional issues. In addition, the project will continue to reinforce the collaboration among the participating countries of the sub-region by promoting common activities and databases creation, experts’ exchange of information, by supporting their participation in joint activities, mainly those related to shared and/or stranded stocks and its fisheries and by facilitating the participation of national experts on the activities of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). Regions covered by CopeMed II are the western and central sub-regions of the Mediterranean. Countries participating and with representation in the Coordination Committee of the project are Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia and Spain. The main beneficiaries are the fishery policy-makers, managers and fishery administrations in the western and central Mediterranean countries. The project is also contributing to the strengthening of regional collaboration, by cooperating with the other FAO subregional projects, AdriaMed, MedSudMed and EastMed and by supporting capacity-building, standard methodologies, joint stocks assessment and the participation of the countries in relevant regional scientific organizations, such as the FAO’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). Secondary beneficiaries include the national research institutes, fishers and fishers’ associations, and industrial organizations.

Project CopeMed II (FAO-FIRF) Subdelegación del Gobierno en Málaga Paseo de Sancha 64, Offices 305-307

29071 Málaga Spain

Tel: (+34) 952 989299 Fax: (+34) 952 989252

E-mail: copemed@fao.org

URL: http://www.faocopemed.org

This document is printed on paper

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CopeMed II (GCP/INT/028/SPA – GCP/INT/006/EC) Publications

CopeMed II project publications are issued in the CopeMed Technical Documents series and are related to meetings, missions and research organized or conducted within the framework of the two Projects. Comments on this document would be welcomed and should be sent to the Project headquarters:

Proyecto CopeMed II Subdelegación del Gobierno en Málaga Paseo de Sancha 64, Oficinas 305-307

29071 Málaga (España) copemed@fao.org

For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited as follow: CopeMed II. 2012. Report of the Fifth Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee. Málaga, Spain, 3-4 May 2012. CopeMed II Technical Documents Nº27 (GCP/INT/028/SPA - GCP/INT/006/EC). Malaga, 2012. 59 pp.

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Preparation of this document This document is the final version of the report of the Fifth Meeting of the Coordination Committee, organized by the FAO-CopeMed II Project Coordination to support fisheries management in the Western and Central Mediterranean in Málaga (Spain), on 3-4 May 2012.

Acknowledgements

The Subdelegation of the Spanish Government in Málaga and specially the titular, Mr Jorge Hernández Mollar for his kindness in hosting the project office and kindly provided hospitality and assistance in the organization of the meeting.

CopeMed II. 2012. Report of the Fifth Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee. Málaga, Spain, 3-4 May 2012. CopeMed II Technical Documents Nº27 (GCP/INT/028/SPA - GCP/INT/006/EC). Malaga, 2012. 59 pp.

ABSTRACT

The Fifth Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committees was attended by representatives of the Spanish Donor, the Secretaría General de Pesca; delegations from the countries participating in the Project (Algeria, France, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia); Coordinators of FAO AdriaMed, MedSudMed and EastMed Projects; as well as the officers from CopeMed II Project. A brief reminder on the CopeMed II Project objectives and activities implemented during the inter-sessional period was done. A presentation on the implementation of the ArtFiMed Project objectives and activities in Morocco and Tunisia completed until finish the Project in July 2011 completed this phase of the meeting. Priority activities for the 5th year of CopeMed II proposed by the Project’ coordinator were discussed and agreed. Complementary activities were requested by each national delegates and integrated in the annual Workplan of the Project. There was a general discussion on the main achievements of the projects and the need to extend the duration of the project to ensure that the achievement, particularly in relation with the shared stocks could advance in their objectives. The country representatives recognized the important contribution of CopeMed II to the development of the national and regional capacity for management for sustainable fisheries and the key role of the project as support to the countries and the GFCM activities. The Workplan was presented for discussion and the proposal of activities for the next period (April 2012-April 2013) was adopted.

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CONTENTS

Opening of the meeting, election of the Chairperson and adoption of the Agenda ….07

Report on the ArtFiMed Project’s Progress …………………………………………...08

Report on the CopeMed II Project’s Progress ………………………………………...11

Proposals on national activities in the framework of the project annual plan……….13

GFCM activities of relevance for CopeMed II ………………………………………...15

Priority activities for the next period of CopeMed II………………………………….15

Other issues……………………………………………………………………………....19

Date and place of the next coordination Committee………………………….…….…19

Annexes Annex 1: List of participants………………………………………………………………20

Annex 2: Agenda……………………………………………………………………......…24

Annex 3: Report on the ArtFiMed Project’s Progress……………………………………..26

Annex 4: Report on the CopeMed II Project’s Progress…………………………………..34

Annex 5: GFCM provisional 2012-13 work programme……………………………… ...41

Annex 6: Priority activities for the 5th year of CopeMed II……………………………....48

Annex 7: Summary of the MEDISEH project ……………………………………….…...58

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Report of the fifth Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee

Málaga, Spain 3-4 May 2012

Opening of the meeting, election of the Chairperson and adoption of the Agenda

1. The meeting was held in the Subdelegation of the Spanish Government in Málaga, the project’s headquarters. It was attended by representatives of the Donors, Secretaría General de Pesca of Spain; delegations from the countries participating in the Project (Algeria, France, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia); Coordinators of FAO AdriaMed, MedSudMed and EastMed Projects; as well as the officers from CopeMed II Project. Representatives of the European Commission, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) excused its participation and the representative of Libya was unable to attend the meeting. The List of participants is included in Annex 1.

2. The meeting was called to order by Mr Juan A. Camiñas, FAO-CopeMed II project Coordinator, who welcomed the participants and specially thanked the titular of the Subdelegation of the Spanish Government in Málaga, Mr Jorge Hernández Mollar, for his kindness in hosting the project offices and arranging the meeting and expressed the gratitude to the Secretaría General de Pesca, AECID and the Direction General Mare (European Commission) for continuing supporting the Project.

3. The Government Subdelegate in Málaga welcomed the participants to the Subdelegation of the Spanish Government in Málaga and wished them a pleasant stay in Málaga. He stressed the great honour of the collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the relevance of a close cooperation among the Mediterranean countries in the UN framework to develop projects for a sustainable and effective fisheries management in the area.

4. He recalled the determined support of the Spanish Government to the cooperation in the Mediterranean and of the Subdelegation of the Spanish Government to the FAO-CopeMed II project owing to the possibilities that offers to the western and central Mediterranean countries for open discussion on fisheries management. He also emphasized the importance of this Fifth Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee to set the Annual Activities Program to strengthen the regional cooperation for the sustainability of fisheries resources in the Mediterranean Sea.

5. Mr Jorge Hernández Mollar finally thanked the FAO representatives, the representatives of the donors of CopeMed II, the Secretaría General de Pesca of Spain and the European Union, the representatives of Algeria, France, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia, the Spanish Delegates and the invited representatives of the Junta de Andalucía and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation for attending the meeting.

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6. The Coordinator, after recalling that CopeMed II was envisaged as an international instrument to help the countries of the subregion in maintaining the sustainability of marine fisheries in central and western Mediterranean Sea, he underlined that although the important progress made on the organization of several subregional WGs for scientific assessment of shared stocks in the subregion, the management of shared exploited resources remains one of the great challenges to achieve long-term sustainable fisheries. Mr Juan A. Camiñas also underlined the important advances in coordination and in carrying out joint works among the different countries and that the scientists of the region are already working together for stocks assessment. In this regard, the project should support the national fisheries administrations to initiate, in the forthcoming years, discussions on common management measures for shared stocks based on sound scientific advice.

7. After the introduction of the participants, countries, donors and other agencies, the Coordinator proposed the designation of the representative of the Spanish donor to chair the meeting. Ms Encarnación Benito, Secretaría General de Pesca of Spain, was unanimously elected Chairperson and the provisional Agenda was adopted with minor modifications (Annex 2). The Chairperson addressed the Committee and thanked the great honour and responsibility in chairing the Committee and wished a fruitful meeting. She called the attention on the important issues included in the Agenda and requested to the delegates to provide comments.

8. The Committee agreed that owing to the absence of representatives of the GFCM, item 4 regarding the GFCM annual program should be discussed by the participants. The Malta delegate proposed the inclusion of the presentation of the EU project MEDISEH (MAREA project) in item 6 of the Agenda “Other matters” because of the possible interest for the CopeMed II member countries. Mr Mostapha Faik, Director of the INRH, Morocco, reported the Committee on the creation of a network of marine and fisheries research institutes of the Maghribian countries (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) to reinforce scientific cooperation among the participating institutions and their willingness to exchange information with the FAO and GFCM. The proposal was accepted and the meeting was informed that the CopeMed II staff will act as rapporteur.

Report on the ArtFiMed Project’s Progress

9. Mr Bernardon, project fisheries officer, introduced this point of the Agenda based on document FAO CopeMed II CC04/20011/03 (Annex 3). He reviewed the general objective of the ArtFiMed project, coordinated by CopeMed II, underlining the three levels of project’s implementation: local, national and regional and the different actors involved.

10. The project, that was financed by AECID as a pilot project for the artisanal segment of the

Mediterranean fisheries in three selected sites, in Morocco (Dikky) and Tunisia (Ghannouch and El Akarit, in the Gulf of Gabès), terminated in July 2011.

11. The identification of priority activities to be undertaken under the project was a permanent

participatory process, coordinated in the framework of an internal (FAO) and regional process. ArtFiMed promoted responsible fisheries through the application of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) principles and the dissemination of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF).

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12. ArtFiMed continued to strengthen the two artisanal fishermen’s organizations created in Morocco and Tunisia with the support of ArtFiMed. The members of both organizations have been trained and received support and materials to develop and manage activities in the framework of this professional organizations.

13. He informed that after its creation, the Ghannouch “groupement” (Tunisia) received support

from the administration and was implicated in an artificial reef project that was installed in Ghannouch. The Dikky fishermen’s cooperative (Morocco) was also identified as a fisheries stakeholder in the Tangier region as well as by the fisheries administration.

14. Concerning statistics and data collection with fishermen and fishermen’s organizations

participation, he informed that ArtFiMed designed, implemented and monitored a community based fishing activity monitoring system for the 3 target sites during one year. The quality of the data and results obtained by the ArtFiMed monitoring system were raised.

15. The ArtFiMed database analysis demonstrated that the procedure to obtain results through

this monitoring system on captures, effort and production is not expensive and that is relevant; that the system is good enough; and that is adapted to provide biological and economic information, particularly on shared stocks of priority species of the GFCM, as T. thynnus; P. bogaraveo; P. kerathurus, S. officinalis, O. vulgaris, S.aurita, T.trachurus.

16. In the way to enhance safety at sea and to improve the working conditions, ArtFiMed

supported training courses for fishermen and provided safety equipment and first aid materials. Moreover, the project supported the construction and supply of manual winches for the Dikky fishermen’s cooperative to reduce destruction and promote safety management of fishing boats.

17. The Committee was informed that to contribute to prevent Illegal, Unreported and

Unregulated (IUU) fishing, ArtFiMed organized a participatory process with stakeholders to promote the reduction of illegal practices and the use of destructive fishing techniques. As a result, authorities initiated the regularization process of 100 artisanal boats in Ghannouch.

18. The project supported the creation of a women’s organization in Morocco and the training of

its members. ArtFiMed also organized and supported technical training for fishers (men and women) and the development of alternative activities generating new incomes.

19. To promote diversification, improve livelihood and reduce fishing pressure, a group of

fishermen in Dikky were trained and equipped with new materials for beekeeping. ArtFiMed help in devising and organizing a beekeepers’ cooperative and developed this new activity which generates new incomes for the community, improving its livelihood.

20. ArtFiMed organized in Gabès, Tunisia, a course for women of fishermen who were trained to

manufacture and repair local Small Scale Fisheries (SSF) gears, in accordance with the fisheries legislation. The group developed this new activity which is already generating complementary incomes.

21. Women of the fishermen’s community were also trained and equipped to produce traditional

carpets and artisanal embroidery. This new activity is improving their family livelihood. Other group of women was instructed in processing and conserving fish as alternative

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activity to improve families’ livelihood for the community and to avoid low priced fishing products loss.

22. Regarding the coordination with other regional projects focused on artisanal fisheries, the

Committee was informed that the experience of ArtFiMed have been useful for the implementation of activities corresponding to the Mediterranean GEF LME project, and particularly in supporting fishermen’s participation in monitoring and management of coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Morocco.

23. To reinforce the information base line on Mediterranean artisanal fisheries, ArtFiMed

organized, in Tunisia and Morocco, two national workshops giving visibility to the socio-economic role at national and regional context and to promote and reinforce the information base on Mediterranean SSF. Both events have been included as national consultation in the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries development process.

24. To improve coordination and strengthen GFCM activities on SSF, ArtFiMed and CopeMed

II main results were presented during a transversal session on artisanal fisheries (SAC-SCs meeting. Rome, 23-26 January 2011) and informative sessions were organized in Morocco to report all the stakeholders and the donor, on the main results, achievements and lessons learned and distributing documentation and guidelines.

25. FAO-FIRF (Marine and Inland Fishery Service) and CopeMed II conducted an internal

review of the project. Conclusions and recommendations were presented and a draft proposal for the extension of the project was prepared based on achievements and lessons learned to expand the ArtFiMed experience in the Mediterranean.

26. The Committee thanked the project for the work done and stressed the quality and the number of important results and products achieved by ArtFiMed. Moroccan and Tunisian representatives particularly reminded that this project contributed to raise awareness on the role of artisanal fisheries, to support co-management process, to reinforce collaboration and to improve coordination between national and international stakeholders involved in SSF so as to develop adapted livelihood activities to SSF communities. It was mentioned that as a result, a specific SSF working group was created under the umbrella of the fisheries department, to initiate the diagnosis of the Moroccan SSF and value chain.

27. The Committee reiterated the interest of having ArtFiMed experiences and results reinforced

and extended to all the countries in the CopeMed II project area and to the whole Mediterranean region. Regarding the ArtFiMed extension, the project informed the Committee that a draft proposal was prepared to the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department as part of the internal final review.

28. The project informed that, in coordination with the other FAO Mediterranean projects, the

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department and the GFCM, will continue working to develop a regional artisanal fisheries proposal to be submitted to potential donors and agencies already working on artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly those working in the two countries covered by ArtFiMed.

29. The Algerian delegation reiterated the interest of his administration in participating in a

regional project on artisanal fisheries and the importance of taking advantage of the

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achievements and lessons learned, to extend the experiences and the conclusions accomplished by ArtFiMed in Morocco and Tunisia, to other countries in the CopeMed II region and particularly to Algeria.

Report on the CopeMed II Project’s Progress

30. Mr Camiñas introduced item 2 of the agenda based on the document FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/02 (Annex 4), in which the activities carried out by CopeMed II from May 2011- April 2012 were presented. He emphasized that all the activities carried out are in line with the Project objectives, the suggestions agreed during the 4th Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee (Madrid, 28-29 April 2011) and recommendations and requests of the 35th GFCM meeting (Rome, 9-14 May 2011).

31. The Committee was informed that, in coordination with the FAO Subregional Office in Tunis

(FAO-SNE), CopeMed II provided technical support to Tunisia in preparing a diagnosis of the SSF statistical system and elaborating a draft project for monitoring these fisheries.

32. National capacity in the field of fisheries statistics was reinforced and supported by the

project through the preparation of documents and experts participation in SAC-GFCM activities related with statistics at the Sub-Committee on Statistics and Information (SCSI).

33. The project organized several joint WGs on shared stocks, some of them in cooperation with

MedSudMed. The Committee was informed on the strategic importance of the WGs on shared resources as highlighted by the national experts during several WG meetings. Experts also underlined that shared stocks WGs are the main cooperative framework to put together human resources, fisheries data and methodologies among Mediterranean countries.

34. The assessment of the Parapenaeus longirostris stock in GSA 01, 02 and 03 was carried out

and a preliminary assessment using Moroccan and Spanish data was finished and presented to the WG on demersal of the Sub-Committee on Stock Assessment (SCSA). In coordination with MedSudMed, the stock of P. longirostris in the Strait of Sicily area was assessed and a joint meeting on demersal shared stocks was held in Salammbô (INSTM, Tunis, 14-16 September 2011). Results of the evaluations of P. longirostris stocks of the Strait of Sicily and Alboran Sea areas were discussed and options for the assessment of Merluccius merluccius of the Strait of Sicily area and a first meeting to evaluate this species in the Alboran Sea were proposed.

35. CopeMed II organized, in collaboration with the INRH, the 2nd meeting of the Study Group

on the blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) shared stock in the Strait of Gibraltar area (Tangier, 19-21 March 2012) between Spain and Morocco to update the assessment carried out in 2010. The results of the stock assessment will be presented to the next SCSA demersal WG.

36. A WG on Small Pelagic Fisheries in the Alboran Sea was organized with the participation of

experts from Algerian, Moroccan and Spanish research institutions, fisheries administrations and NGOs. Furthermore, the project supported another meeting in 2011. In its framework, the WG assessed for the first time the Alboran stock of Sardina pilchardus carried out by experts from Morocco and Spain. Results were presented to the SAC WG on small pelagics (Chania, October 2011).

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37. The project organized with MedSudMed a Workshop on Coryphaena hippurus in the two

Projects area. CopeMed II experts presented four scientific documents, available in the project Web page, on surface longline Spanish fishery; artisanal fishery in Balearic Islands; early life stage of C. hippurus; and on the use of data from recreational fisheries.

38. CopeMed II contributed to the standardization of common methodologies in the

Mediterranean area and supported the participation of an expert in a MEDIAS survey at sea and the participation of three experts from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in the EU MEDIAS annual meeting. In collaboration with INRH and CNRDPA, the project is supporting actions on the implementation of the 40 mm square-mesh size bottom-trawl experimental survey.

39. CopeMed II continued supporting the participation of experts from Algeria, Morocco and

Tunisia in international training activities and supported the participation of experts from Morocco and Algeria in a High degree University course on EAF in Agadir (Morocco).

40. CopeMed II organized, in cooperation with the Moroccan fisheries institutions and FAO

office in Rabat, the National artisanal fishery day in Morocco and prepared a technical document with the Conclusions and Recommendations. In cooperation with the Tunisian fisheries institutions and FAO office in Tunis, the project organized a meeting on National approach for the development of artisanal fisheries in Tunisia and produced a report with Conclusions and Recommendations.

41. CopeMed II continued supporting the activities of the GFCM by providing scientific

contributions and funding the participation of 55 experts from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in different activities organized by the GFCM and by the FAO projects, mainly on the assessment of shared stocks. CopeMed II maintained collaboration with international organizations working in the subregion to improve cooperation and coordination.

42. To ensure a better coordination, the FAO Mediterranean projects’ staff met several times a

year to plan shared activities facilitating to avoid overlapping. CopeMed II is reinforcing collaboration with the regional and subregional FAO offices in the northern African countries.

43. The Coordinator informed that the EC-DG Mare secured additional funds and the activities

of the project were extended to December 2012. The Spanish donors funded complementary activities of CopeMed II until April 2013.

44. The Committee thanked CopeMed II for the presentation of the summary and acknowledged

the variety and volume of the activities and the results achieved by the project during the last years. The extension of CopeMed II until 2013 with the support of the two donors was highlighted and the occasion was taken to thanks the donors for the project’ activities support. The Committee emphasized the wish for the extension of the project’ activities.

45. Mr Othman Jarboui, delegate of Tunisia, thanked CopeMed II for all the activities conducted and particularly the support to Tunisia in several issues as statistics system, capacity building and participation in international meetings. He informed that the Fisheries administration, in coordination with the INSTM, with the support of CopeMed II and the FAO-RNE offices in Tunis, carried out a pilot project on a statistical system for the artisanal fisheries whose results have been proved useful for the country. In consequence, he requested financial

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support of CopeMed II to extend the experience to other regions in Tunisia, including training and participation of Tunisian experts in the activities.

46. Mr Said Taleb, delegate of Morocco, recognized the great contribution of CopeMed II to strengthen regional cooperation by supporting the participation of experts in the GFCM, shared stocks assessment, governance and fisheries management meetings. He also recalled the importance of the cooperation between CopeMed II and other regional organizations. The Moroccan delegate expressed his acknowledge to the innovations included in this phase of CopeMed II and particularly the important advances on the assessment of shared stocks and the importance that the Moroccan national experts give to the coordination achieved on this matter. Finally, he underlined the diversity of courses and training activities organized and/or supported by CopeMed II and the needs to go one step ahead on fisheries sustainability.

47. The delegate of Algeria, Ms Naciba Labidi, also thanked CopeMed II for the constant support to the CNRDPA and the Algerian experts to participate in the GFCM meetings and reported that the implementation of the 40 mm square-mesh size campaign set by the project to study the biological and socio-economic effects of this measure is about to start, and that the vessel and port base for the activity are selected after solving several difficulties.

48. Mr Juan J. García, representing the Fisheries and Aquaculture General Direction of the Junta

de Andalucía, expressed his acknowledge to CopeMed II for the contribution to the cooperation on improving the knowledge of the fishery resources in the Alboran Sea and for inviting the Autonomous Regional Fisheries Service to contribute to the activities carried out by the project in the region. He offered the collaboration of the Junta de Andalucía in activities related with the artisanal fisheries, the fishery of P. bogaraveo in the Strait of Gibraltar, the experience in VMS already done with artisanal vessels and the information on the fisheries sharing stocks with other fleets.

49. Mr Antonio Troya, Director of the IUCN Mediterranean office, thanked CopeMed II for the

invitation to participate in the Committee and recalled the close collaboration between CopeMed II and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in activities related with fisheries, Marine Protected Areas, the Alboran Sea and international cooperation. He stressed the necessity of improving synergies in the countries where IUCN and CopeMed II are working. He also underlined the important level of information exchanged between the two organizations and wished for continuing the reinforcement of such collaboration.

50. Mr Camiñas thanked the participants for their contributions. He recalled the important step ahead of the organization of WGs on shared stocks for sharing information and capacity building among the participating countries and to create common databases for joint analysis permitting scientific advice to improve fisheries management. He suggested increasing cooperation among the experts from the member countries and recommended to go ahead with the preparation of draft proposals on management alternatives by the different WGs on shared stocks, in order to facilitate the CopeMed II Coordination Committee members with different options to propose new common management strategies in the project subregion.

Proposals on national activities in the framework of the project annual plan

51. Tunisia.

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− The Tunisian focal point reiterated the support of CopeMed II to implement two additional pilot surveys in the framework of the process already supported by CopeMed II in 2011, to improve the Statistical System for the Artisanal Fisheries in Tunisia (SSPAT).

− The interaction and conflicts arisen between SSF and aquaculture in Tunisia were stressed. He requested the project for support to address this new issue in Tunisia.

− Concerning the 40 mm square-mesh size, Tunisia has already conducted the pilot survey, but needs support for socioeconomic assessment. Tunisia is interested in the extension of the EAF management training.

− He requested the support of CopeMed II to facilitate the participation of an expert of the INSTM to join a workshop organized by the IEO Málaga Centre to undertake a larval growth study of Merlucius merlucius in May 2012.

− Finally, the focal point also requested the support of CopeMed II to the participation of scientists in Working groups and GFCM activities.

52. Morocco. − The national focal point requested CopeMed II to reinforce activities related with shared

stocks and to extend the WG on stocks assessment to other shared stocks in the region. − Support to initiate activities to address the problems caused by the interactions between

marine mammals and artisanal fisheries, particularly in the Strait of Gibraltar area. − Support to start socio-economic studies on artisanal fisheries in the Lagoon of Nador for the

development of aquaculture as an alternative for SSF. − The representative of the Moroccan Fisheries Administration proposed CopeMed II to

organize a meeting for Fisheries Administrations of the CopeMed countries to analyze the scientific assessment of shared stocks from the Alborán and Gibraltar Strait areas (blackspot seabream, sardine and deep water red shrimp) that have been presented to the different WGs with the aim of the possible implementation of fisheries management measures.

− Finally the national focal point requested the support of CopeMed II to the Maghribian network of marine research institutes recently created in Casablanca.

53. Italy: − The representative mentioned the Italian experience on aquaculture and SSF restocking

projects whose results and lessons learned can be useful for the Moroccan and Tunisian request of support.

− Moreover, he stressed the importance of address the discards issue in the framework of the CopeMed II project as a main concern in the Mediterranean fisheries sustainability.

54. Algeria − The Algerian delegates requested the support of the project to improve the capacity of the

national experts involved on demersal stocks assessment by direct methods. − They informed the Committee on the interest of Algeria to contact some laboratory or experts

that could provide training on genetic analysis. − They requested the support of CopeMed II to facilitate contact with research institutions

already using the specific echo-sound EM-710 equipment that was installed in the CNRDPA research vessel for acoustic survey.

− They also requested the support of CopeMed II to facilitate the participation of Algerian scientists and experts in the different Working groups and GFCM activities.

55. Malta.

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− The Maltese focal point asked the project to continue the work initiated for the joint assessment of the shared stock C. hippurus.

− She also requested support for socio economic analysis of the impact of the 40 mm square-mesh size used on bottom trawlers.

− Finally, she stressed the importance of capacity buildings activities and particularly on stock assessment training courses for young Maltese experts underlining that the FAO project should start preparing a second level course on stocks assessment to reinforce the capacities of the regional experts.

56. France − The delegate of France reiterated the importance of reinforcing collaboration on shared

stocks in the CopeMed II region as a first step to improve the cooperation among research institutions and facilitate the networking of the research institutions at regional level.

57. Spain − Spanish focal point reiterated their willingness to receive the expert from the INSTM during

a workshop on the ageing of larvae of M. merlucius that will be held in Málaga (IEO) in a near future.

GFCM activities of relevance for CopeMed II

58. The provisional 2012 work programme of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the GFCM was distributed and the Committee informed on the activities. FAO CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 16 (Annex 5).

Priority activities for the next period of CopeMed II

59. Based on the document FAO CopeMed II CC05/2012/04 (Annex 6) the Coordinator reminded that the project is due to terminate in April 2013 and the organization of the activities according to this option. He mentioned that final Workplan will take into due account the recommendations of the 5th Coordination Committee meeting and the priorities expressed by the countries on each activity, directly linked to the budget availability.

Technical support to countries on Statistics

60. The project, in cooperation with the FAO-RNE in Tunis, will continue collaborating in the implementation of the SSPAT (Statistical System for the Artisanal Fisheries in Tunisia) in order to improve the capacity of the fishery administration of Tunisia on fisheries statistics and particularly on the national SSF sector.

61. To update Algerian statistical data on P. longirostris to conduct joint stocks assessment among Algeria, Morocco and Spain.

62. To support Moroccan and Spanish collaboration to improve collection of statistical data regarding biological and economic information on the P. bogaraveo stock in the Strait of Gibraltar area.

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63. The project will continue supporting the process of exchange of information and data between the INRH and IEO and information between the two national fishery administrations, for improving the assessment of sardine and anchovy stocks in the Alboran Sea area.

Subregional research activities related to shared stocks in the CopeMed II area

64. The Committee agreed the following activities related with shared stocks of demersal and small pelagic species:

Demersal stocks

65. To hold the second meeting of the WG for the assessment on Parapenaeus longirostris of the Alboran Sea among Algeria, Morocco and Spain and the first meeting of the WG for stock assessment of Merlucius merlucius of the Alboran Sea among Algeria, Morocco and Spain, back to back with the previous WG meeting.

66. To hold a new meeting of the WG of Pagellus bogaraveo in the Strait of Gibraltar area, to follow up the recommendations including the joint plan on biological and economic sampling between Spain and Morocco.

67. CopeMed II and MedSudMed will organize a new meeting of the WG for joint stock

assessment on Parapenaeus longirostris and Merlucius merlucius in the Strait of Sicily area and a Subregional Working Group on Shared Demersal Fisheries Resources in the CopeMed II and MedSudMed area (SWGSDR).

68. The Committee discussed and agreed the organization of the different WGs of the SWGSDR

for the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Sicily areas, separately, at the same time and venue. 69. Following the experts recommendations of the WG meeting on P. longirostris of the Alboran

Sea, the Committee agreed that CopeMed II should support national experts from the region to produce a scientific document with relevant and useful information related to this stock and the correspondent fisheries.

Pelagic stocks

70. To hold a new meeting of the WG on S. pilchardus of the Alboran Sea to continue with the analysis of the stock between Morocco and Spain and to include the available data of Algeria.

71. To prepare the national data on Engraulis encrasicholus to define the stock or stocks in the area and to prepare the evaluation of the stocks.

72. The Committee recommended that CopeMed II will lead the cooperation among the research institutions on the identification of the stocks of the main small pelagics and should support to draft a common strategy for data collection and scientific information needs to produce stocks assessments of small pelagics in the Alboran Sea.

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73. Furthermore, the Committee agreed on the interest of the elaboration of a joint scientific document with relevant information on sardine in the Alboran Sea to improve the knowledge and to advance in the delimitation of the stock units.

74. Concerning the initiative of conducting a joint acoustic survey in the Alboran Sea to evaluate simultaneously the sardine abundance and its distribution in GSA01 and GSA03, the Committee recommended to reinforcing research cooperation between Spain and Morocco on abundance, distribution, eggs and larvae of sardine and anchovy.

75. The Committee agreed that CopeMed II will organize, with MedSudMed, the Subregional

Pelagic WG (SRPWG) to discuss the results of the different joint assessments and documents produced by the different WGs in the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Sicily areas. In particular the Committee agreed to continue the work on the joint assessment of Coryphaena hippurus.

Training activities

76. The Committee agreed that CopeMed II should organize a subregional training course on basic stock assessment, in collaboration with the other subregional projects and the Fishery Resource Service, FAO FIRF.

77. The Committee also agreed that the project should support the following recommendations of the Pagellus bogaraveo WG in the Strait of Gibraltar area, according to funds availability and mainly:

- To support and organize advanced specific training courses on stock assessment’s models aiming to improve the assessment of the blackspot seabream stocks of the Strait of Gibraltar area.

- To support an on-the-job training workshop on biological parameters of P. bogaraveo for Moroccan experts in Spain.

78. To support the participation of experts from the project’s southern countries on-the-job training on board research vessels on standard methodologies for stocks assessment (demersal and small pelagic) by direct methods.

79. To organize with the GFCM a short training course on selectivity and fishing technology to incorporate new young experts from the western and central Mediterranean, as a first step to improve TECHNOMED network.

80. To organize a subregional meeting with experts from the CopeMed II region countries to jointly analyze the biological and socio-economic data of the pilot selectivity survey on 40 mm square-mesh size carried out in Algeria, Morocco and other countries.

Other subregional and national research activities

81. The Committee agreed that CopeMed II will support the participation of experts from the non EU-countries in the Annual meeting of EU-MEDIAS.

82. The Committee agreed that the small pelagic WG of the Alboran Sea should:

- Advance in the application of the protocol for Acoustic Survey MEDIAS in the Alboran Sea region.

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- Support the organization of a scientific network of experts on small pelagic species of the Alboran Sea and the creation of a site, within the CopeMed II web page, to include the related information.

83. The Committee also agreed on seeking collaboration with MedSudMed to address the issue

of harmonizing the use of the closed season management tool in the Projects area.

Regional cooperation

84. The Committee agreed that CopeMed II should play an important role aiming to reinforce the coordination, cooperation and synergies at regional level and to broaden the Network of Maghribian Fisheries Research Institutions to other Mediterranean countries within the framework of the other FAO Mediterranean projects.

85. It was acknowledged by the Committee that such initiative could help in better organizing fisheries and aquaculture research in the Mediterranean region and could be an instrument to improve the regional collaboration and to reinforce the capacities of those less favoured and developed countries in marine, fisheries and aquaculture research. The Committee recommended the collaboration among the FAO Mediterranean projects to support the regional initiative.

86. The Committee agreed that CopeMed II, in coordination with the other FAO Subregional projects, will support the organization of a meeting on the status of the knowledge of ichthyoplankton in the Mediterranean Sea in order to improve the information and the participation of experts involved on early life research of the main target species.

87. The Committee agreed that CopeMed II will continue supporting the activities of the GFCM and its subsidiary bodies by facilitating the participation of experts in GFCM WGs and technical meetings.

88. CopeMed II in close coordination with the FAO-FIRF and the other FAO Subregional projects should continue collaborating with the GFCM Secretariat to improve cooperation in the region avoiding overlapping of activities and misuse of funds.

89. The Committee supported that CopeMed II strengthens the cooperation with other international institutions, to facilitate the participation of experts in international courses on fisheries and fisheries related issues; to improve the collaboration with the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) and to maintain the collaboration with the Fisheries Department of the Junta de Andalucía on fisheries resources in the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar areas.

Strengthening participation of the countries in supporting the Project extension

90. The Committee was informed about the actual financial constraints in Spain. After due consideration, the Committee proposed to explore new possible funding options for the extension of the Project and fundraising. An option-example is the possibility in co-funding by the members for the development of specific activities of the present annual Workplan.

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91. After extensive discussion of the document, the Committee reiterated the great effort of the project to incorporate national proposals and regional activities in the annual Workplan and approved the priority activities to be supported by CopeMed II for the period 2012-13.

Other issues

92. The representative of Malta, Ms Leyla Knittweis, introduced the Mediterranean Sensitive Habitats (MEDISEH) project (Annex 7) and requested CopeMed II members to support the participation of experts in the next MEDISEH meeting to be held in October 2012. After discussion on the possibilities of how to promote support and cooperation between non-partners and the MEDISEH, the Committee agreed that members may provide with information to MEDISEH to achieve its final objectives.

93. The Committee agreed that MEDISEH is an important initiative because scientific data is at present patchy and not always easy to access. Whilst participants agreed collaboration would be worthwhile, they considered that relevant national experts should be invited by MEDISEH. The Moroccan delegation suggested that MEDISEH contacts directly the relevant national institutions, putting the projects in copy.

Date and place of the next coordination Committee

94. There were no proposals to organize the next Coordination meeting. CopeMed II will inform the Committee on the date and place of the next Coordination Committee after discussion with the members. The Coordinator proposed to organize the next meeting of the Coordination Committee during the month of April 2013.

95. The Coordinator, members of the Committee and the other participants expressed their

thanks to the Spanish authorities and Subdelegation of the Spanish Government in Málaga for their warm welcome and successful organization.

96. The Committee approved the report and the Chairperson finally declared the meeting closed.

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Annex 1: List of participants ALGERIA Mustapha DJELLALI Centre National de Recherche et de Développement de la Pêche et l’Aquaculture 11 Bd Colonel Amirouche, Bou-Ismail w. de Tipaza Algeria Tel : +213 55 00 21 442 Email : mostadjellali@gmail.com Naciba LABIDI Ministère de la pêche et des ressources halieutiques Route des 04 Canons- Alger, Algeria. Tel /Fax: +213 (0)21 43 30 48 Email : duchesselabidi@yahoo.fr FRANCE Capucine MELLON IFREMER Avenue Jean Monnet BP 171 34203 Sete, France Tel: +33 4 99 57 32 00 Fax: +33 4 99 57 32 95 Email : capucine.mellon@ifremer.fr ITALY Sergio VITALE CNR-IAMC UOS Mazara del Vallo Via Vaccara, 61 – 91026 Mazara del Vallo, Italy Tel : +39 0923 948966 Fax : +39 0923 906634 Email : sergio.vitale@iamc.cnr.it

MALTA Leyla KNITTWEIS Fisheries Advisor Fisheries Control Directorate Barriera Wharf Valletta VLT 1970 Malta Tel: +356 22922217 Fax: +356 22031221 Email: leyla.knittweis@gov.mt MOROCCO Said TALEB Chef de la Division de la Coopération et des Affaires Juridiques Institut National de Recherches Halieutiques 2 Rue Tiznit 20000 Casablanca, Morocco Tel: +212 5 22297329 Fax: +212 522266967 Email: TALEB@inrh.org.ma Mohammed NAJIH Chef Centre INRH de Nador Institut National de Recherches Halieutiques B.P. 493 Nador principal Nador, Morocco Tel: +212 536331251 Fax: +212 536603828 Email: najihmohamed@yahoo.fr El Mostafa TALBAOUI Chef Centre INRH de Tanger Institut National de Recherches Halieutiques B.P. 493 Nador principal Nador, Morocco Tel: +212 536331251 Fax: +212 536603828 Email: talbaoui@yahoo.fr

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Samira EL MARHOUME Département de la Pêche Maritime Direction de la Pêche Maritime et de l'Aquaculture Division de la Protection des Ressources Halieutiques Rabat, Morocco Tel: +212 537688119 Fax: +212 537688089 Email: elmarhoum@mpm.gov.ma Fatima Zohra HASSOUNI Chef de Service de gestion et aménagement des Ressources Département de la Pêche Maritime Direction de la Pêche Maritime et de l'Aquaculture Division de la Protection des Ressources Halieutiques Rabat, Morocco Tel: +212 537688119 Fax: +212 537688089 Email:hassouni@mpm.gov.ma SPAIN Jorge BARO Director, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga Instituto Español de Oceanografía Puerto Pesquero s/n 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga Tel: +34 952197124 Fax: +34 952463808 Email: jorgebaro@ma.ieo.es Alberto GARCÍA Mediterranean Fisheries Program Coordinator Instituto Español de Oceanografía Puerto Pesquero s/n 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga Tel: +34 952197124 Fax: +34 952463808 Email: agarcia@ma.ieo.es

TUNISIA Othman JARBOUI Chief of Laboratory of Fisheries Sciences Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer BP1035 3018 Sfax Tel: +216 74497117 Fax: +216 74497989 e-mail: othman.jarboui@instm.rnrt.tn Rakia BELKAHIA Sous Directeur de l’Aquaculture Direction Générale de la Pêche et de l'Aquaculture 41, Alain Savary 1004 – Tunis Tel: +216 Fax: +216 Email: rakia.belkahia@gmail.com SECRETARIA GENERAL DE PESCA Encarnación BENITO REVUELTA Jefa de Área SG Caladero Nacional, Aguas Comunitarias y Acuicultura DG Recursos Pesqueros y Acuicultura Secretaría General de Pesca Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente C/ Velázquez 144 - Madrid 28071 - Spain Tel: +34 913476161 Fax: +34 913476046 Email: ebenitor@magrama.es JUNTA DE ANDALUCÍA Juan José GARCÍA RODRÍGUEZ Unidad de Gestión de Recursos Pesqueros Servicio de Ordenación de los Recursos Pesqueros y Acuícolas Dirección General de Pesca y Acuicultura Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca Junta de Andalucía C/ Tabladilla s/n, C.P.41071 Sevilla, Spain Tel: +34 955032694 Fax: +34955032507

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Email: juanj.garcia.rodriguez@juntadeandalucia.es IUCN Antonio TROYA Director UICN-Centro de Cooperación del Mediterráneo C/Marie Curie nº 22 (PTA) 29590 Campanillas Málaga, Spain Tel: +34 952028430 Fax: +34 952028145 Email: antonio.troya@iucn.org Alain JEUDY DE GRISSAC Marine Conservation Programme Manager UICN-Centro de Cooperación del Mediterráneo C/Marie Curie nº 22 (PTA) 29590 Campanillas Málaga, Spain Tel: +34 952028430 Fax: +34 952028145 Email: alain.jeudy@iucn.org FAO Enrico ARNERI Coordinator Project AdriaMed and MedSudMed Marine and Inland Fisheries Service Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome (Italy) Tel: +39 0657056092 Fax: +39 0657053188 Email: enrico.arneri@fao.org

Konstantina RIGA Coordinator Project EastMed Marine and Inland Fisheries Service Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Androu 1 112 57 Athens, Greece Tel: +30 210 8847960 Fax: +30 210 8837600 Email: konstantina.riga@fao.org Juan Antonio CAMIÑAS Coordinator Project CopeMed II Marine and Inland Fisheries Service Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subdelegación del Gobierno Paseo de Sancha 64, despacho 306 29071 Málaga-Spain Tel: +31 952 98 92 99 Fax: +34 952 98 92 52 Email: juanantonio.caminas@fao.org Matthieu BERNARDON Fishery Officer CopeMed II Marine and Inland Fisheries Service Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subdelegación del Gobierno Paseo de Sancha 64, despacho 307 29071 Málaga-Spain Tel: +31 952 98 92 45 Fax: +34 952 98 92 52 Email: matthieu.bernardon@fao.org

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Abla KADIRI Clerk CopeMed II Marine and Inland Fisheries Service Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subdelegación del Gobierno Paseo de Sancha 64, despacho 307 29071 Málaga-Spain Tel: +31 952 98 92 52 Fax: +34 952 98 92 52 Email: abla.kadiri@fao.org

Ignacio de Loyola FERNÁNDEZ Consultant CopeMed II Marine and Inland Fisheries Service Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subdelegación del Gobierno Paseo de Sancha 64, despacho 305 29071 Málaga-Spain Tel: +31 952 98 92 52 Fax: +34 952 98 92 52 Email: ignacio.fernandezfernandez@fao.org

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Annex 2: Agenda THURSDAY 3rd MAY, 9:00-17:30 1. Opening of the meeting, election of Chairperson and Adoption of the Agenda

• Welcome by the Spanish authorities • Introduction of the participants countries (Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Morocco,

Tunisia, and Spain) and the donors, Organizations and Agencies (SG Mar; UE, AECID, FAO, GFCM, ICCAT) and others.

• Designation of the chairperson an adoption of the Agenda 2. Report of the CopeMed II and ArtFiMed Project’s Progress

• An overview of the main activities performed by CopeMed II and the outputs achieved during the intersession period will be given to the Committee.

• An overview of the main activities performed by ArtFiMed and the outputs achieved up to the closing of the project will be given to the Committee.

Information will be given on the activities of the CopeMed II Working Groups, the ongoing

cooperative activities, the training and the relationship and cooperation of CopeMed II and

ArtFiMed at Mediterranean level.

Information on the ArtFiMed activities on specific artisanal issues, the fisheries sampling, the

improvement livelihood and the professional’s organization.

3. Proposals on national activities in the framework of the project

• Presentation of countries’ proposals to be carried out at national and subregional level.

The national focal points are invited to present subregional and national activities needing the

adoption of the Coordination Committee.

4. GFCM activities of relevance for CopeMed II and ArtFiMed

• Presentation of the GFCM scientific and technical activities of relevance to the project Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean. CopeMed Phase II (GCP/INT/028/SPA; GCP/INT/006/EC) and ArtFiMed

5. Priority activities for the next period of CopeMed II

• A workplan, the programme of the ongoing and scheduled activities for 2012 will be dealt.

A work plan of the Project will be outlined and discussed. Topics to be dealt with are those

pertaining to the ongoing research, the training, activities directed toward the national capacity

building, the follow-up and organization of CopeMed II Working Groups on shared stocks. The

international cooperation, the relationship with other FAO projects, with the Donors, with the

GFCM and other topics will be discussed. The Committee will be asked to provide orientation

on the programmes presented.

6. Other matters 7. Date and venue of the next Coordination Committee

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FRIDAY 4th MAY, 11:00-13:30 8. Adoption of the report

The project staff will prepare a draft report with the main discussions and achievement of the

meeting including a tentative timetable with the activities to carry out during the next months

for CopeMed II. The Committee will review and adopt the report.

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Annex 3: Report on the ArtFiMed Project’s Progress

FAO CopeMed II CC05/2012/03

5th Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee Malaga, Spain 3-4 May 2012

Report on the activities of the ArtFiMed Project Introduction

ArtFiMed (Sustainable Development of Artisanal Mediterranean Fisheries in Morocco and Tunisia) coordinated by CopeMed II, a pilot project implemented in three sites: Ghannouch and Akarit in Tunisia and Dikky in Morocco started in March 2008 and finished July 2011, thenafter, the dissemination of results and lesson learned are supported by CopeMed.

Main goal of ArtFiMed is to improve the livelihood of fishers and their families, but the whole artisanal system (fisheries, resources, marketing, intermediaries, social and economic aspects) is a target. ArtFiMed was funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

The overall objective is to contribute to reduce the poverty of the target artisanal fisheries communities by improving their livelihood in the respect of the ecosystems which they exploit as to contribute to improve positive integration of these communities in the dynamic which affects them directly, in particular the management of fisheries and the development of the coastal areas.

The expected results concern three different levels:

1. Results obtained at the three artisanal communities where the project was carried out; 2. Results obtained at country level (Morocco and Tunisia) and particularly with regard to the

promotion of the artisanal fisheries at national scale; and 3. Results obtained at the GFCM level, strengthening the artisanal fisheries information and

promoting lessons learned and methodologies in the region.

The activities presented in this report are grouped according to 5 main components, as follows: 1. Improve the socio-economic situation and sustainable livelihood of the target communities 2. Promote and extend the results of the project to other artisanal areas based on lessons

learned through implementation and the application of methodologies 3. Reinforce the information base line on Mediterranean artisanal fisheries 4. Regional cooperation 5. Project communication

Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean. CopeMed Phase II

(GCP/INT/028/SPA; GCP/INT/006/EC) and ArtFiMed

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1. Contribute in improving the socio-economic situation and sustainable livelihood of the target

communities in Morocco and Tunisia. 1.1 Activities carried out to promote and support sustainable fisheries

The identification of priority activities to be undertaken under the project was a permanent participatory process, coordinated in the framework of an internal (FAO) and regional process. The fifth and last Internal Committee meeting (CPSI) was held in june 2011 in Tunis.

ArtFiMed promoted responsible fisheries through the application of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) principles and the dissemination of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF). Different activities were implemented through the following areas of intervention:

Support fishermen’s organization

The project continued to strengthen the two artisanal fishermen’s organization created in Morocco and Tunisia. The Dikky artisanal fishers’ cooperative and the Ghannouch artisanal fishers’ groupement were created with the support of ArtFimed.

The members of both organisations have been trained and received support and materials to develop and manage activities in the framework of this professional organizations.

The Ghannouch groupement received now support from the administration and is implicated in a future artificial reef which should be installed in Ghannouch.

The Dikky fishermen cooperative is also identified as a fisheries stakeholder in the Tangier region.

Enhance safety at sea and improve the working conditions

In the frame of the participatory process, ArtFiMed supported the construction and supply of manual winches for the Dikky fishermen cooperative.

The winches have been installed and a management protocol has been validated with the support of the project to reduce destruction and promote safety management for fishing boats.

Contribute to prevent and deter unreported unregulated fishing activities

In Ghannouch ArtFiMed organized a participatory process and meetings with fisheries management, local authorities and fishermen's organizations to promote the reduction of illegal practices and the use of destructive fishing techniques to promote sustainable fishing practices.

Guides and technical documents on gears, size at landing etc., were produced by the project in support of this action.

As a result, authorities initiated the regularization process for 100 artisanal boats, which should allow the owners to comply with fisheries legislation and therefore be entitled to social benefits and facilities for the development of artisanal fisheries.

Support the fisheries product transformation and quality:

In Tunisia, in collaboration with national actors, ArtFiMed organized a training course for 10 women on basic hygiene, fish products processing and conservation based on traditional methods.

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Support and reinforce the collaboration process between fisheries actors (Administration,

research and profession) for sustainable fisheries management

Organization of two regional and two national small scale fisheries workshops/days; the process for organizing fishermen associations; a meetings on good practices; two courses on safety at sea; implementing an ad hoc fisheries monitoring system; collaborating in better intergration of small scale fisheries communities at local, regional and national as main stakeholder.

Contribute to disseminate the fisheries legislation and the good practices

ArtFiMed promoted responsible fisheries EAF and the dissemination of the CCRF. It was implemented trough participatory process and the elaboration/diffusion of technical documents and guidelines.

The project published guides to raise awarness on: the minimum authorized landing size to the target species; the fishing gear technical characteristics; the biology and fisheries of the target species in Morroco and Tunisia and a guide on the Tunisia fisheries regulation.

Support the monitoring of the small scale fisheries activities:

ArtFiMed designed, implemented and monitored a community based monitoring sytem for the fishing activity in the 3 target sites during one year. This system demonstrated that he is suitable and replicable to other sites of artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean.

Moreover, the project participed to the diagnosys and assesment of weakness of the national statistical system for improving SSF statistics in Tunisia.

1.2 Activities carried out to support sustainable livelihood and socioeconomic development

The project supported the creation of a women’s organization in Morocco and the training of its members. With the same purpose, ArtFiMed organized and supported technical training for fishers (men and women) and the development of alternative activities which are generating new incomes for the coomunities: � Beekeeping cooperative (Morroco): Fishermen trained and equiped with materials for

beekeeping. Now they are organized trough a cooperative and develop this activity which generates new income for the community.

� Production and reparation of small scale fisheries nets (Tunisa): Women trained by local and national experts to manufacture and to repare SSF gears, in accordance with the fisheries legislation. The group developed this new activity which is already generating complementary incomes for the SSF community.

� Traditional carpet weaving and embroidery (Tunisia): Women of the fishers community were trained and equiped to produce traditonal carpet and artisanal embroidery. Now they develop this new activity wich improves their family livelihood.

� Fish processing and conservation (Tunisia): Women formed with the support of the project to process and conserve the fish as alternative activity to improve families’ livelihood for the community and to avoid fishing products loss.

2. Promote and extend the results of the project to other artisanal fishing areas based on

lessons learned.

Different activities have been carried out to promote the use of the lessons learned from ArtFiMed and to extend the results obtained by the project to other artisanal sites:

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� All the activities implemented in the framework of ArtFiMed follows a process of consultation with beneficiaries and authorities, by involving all the relevant actors, from the identification until the implementation phase. This allows not only to keep all partners informed about the project activities, but also to involve the authorities and stakeholders in project implementation and achievement of expected results.

� A protocol ArtFiMed for monitoring fishing activities and indicators has been elaborated and published. The fishing monitoring system, involving members of the artisanal fishing communities was implemented in the 3 sites. The information and data were recorded in a database and analysed and the results disseminated for promoting the usefullness and quality of this kind of data.

� The database analysis demonstrated that results obtained through this monitoring system on captures, effort and production is not expensive and relevant; that the system is good enough and adapted to provide biological and economic information, particularly on shared stocks of priority species of the GFCM, as T. thunnus; P. bogaraveo; P. kerathurus, S. officinalis, O. vulgaris, S.aurita, T.trachurus

� An internal review of the project has been conducted and the achievements of three expected results integrating the principles of results-based management (RBM) analyzed.

� Moreover, a draft proposal for the reinforcement and the extension of the project prepared. This proposal aim to support small scale fisheries based on ArtFiMed to expand the ArtFiMed experience in the Mediterranean, in coordination with FAO, member countries and the GFCM.

� The project website www.faoartfimed.org regularly updated, contains all the information and the technical documentation produced in the framework of the project.

� ArtFiMed staff participated in different national and international meetings and workshop (FAO Mediterranean coordination meetings, GFCM Sub Committees, SAC and Commission meeting, technical meeting with Fishery ministry and national fisheries institutions in Morocco and Tunisia), promoting the results obtained and the role of artisanal fisheries.

� The experience of ArtFiMed has been useful for the implementation of activities corresponding the component of the Mediterranean GEF LME project, and particularly in supporting fisher’s participation in monitoring and management of coastal MPA’s.

3. Reinforce the information base line on Mediterranean artisanal fisheries.

All the information and documentation elaborated in the framework of ArtFiMed contributed to reinforce the small scale fisheires information base at national and Mediterranean.

� In Tunisia and Morocco, ArtFiMed organized national workshops on small scale fisheries. These meetings contributed to stress the numerous existing associations and local groups; give visibility to the socio-economic role of the artisanal fisheries in the context of the national and Mediterranean context; to promote artisanal fisheries and reinforce the information base on Mediterranean small scale Fisheries.

� Recommendations have been agreed by the artisanal sectors during these two meetings and channeled to fisheries administrations for better integration and recognition of small-scale fisheries in national and regional development.

� The two events have been included as national consultation in the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries development process.

� ArtFiMed supported and strengthened GFCM activities on small scale fisheries in Mediterranean sea. Main results were presented during a transversal session on artisanal fisheries organised in the frame of the SAC-SCs meeting (Rome, 23-26 January 2011) Informative sessions are foreseen in Morocco and Tunisia, to inform all the stakeholders and the donor, on the ArtFiMed main results, achievements and lessons learned.

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4. Regional coordination, cooperation and synergy

4.1 FAO coordination

Under the general coordination of CopeMed II, ArtFiMed, as part of the pool of the FAO-led Fisheries Management Support projects in the Mediterranean, is coordinated with the other projects, the FAO and the GFCM and participate in all the common activities.

In coordination with the other subregional projects ArtFiMed also prepared to the SAC a document on “Major activities of the FAO regional Projects in 2011” summarizing the most significant activities carried out by the Project during the intersessional period of the SAC.

4.2 Coordination, synergy and communication

Linked to CopeMed II, ArtFiMed participated or the results were presented at in several international activities and meetings aiming at reinforcing coordination and disseminating results and experiences as:

� 2nd CONGRESS OF THE SPANISH NETWORK OF WOMEN IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR: "Incorporation and entrepreneurship of women in the fisheries sector" (October 2011)

� MSC Fishery Certification in Developing and Emerging Economies: The Way Forward (February, 2012)

� International Master on Sustainable Fisheries Management (March 2012, Spain)

� The Near East and North Africa Regional Meeting on Reducing the Vulnerability of Fishers, Fish Farmers and their Communities to Disasters and Climate Change Impacts (Muscat, Oman, 25 March 2012)

� The Near East and North Africa Regional Consultative Meeting on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Bringing Together Responsible Fishing and Social Development (Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 26-28 March 2012)

5. Project communication:

ArtFiMed contributed in keeping fisheries administrations, main fisher’s organisations and other stakeholders informed on SSF and marine-related issues by distributing the generated information.

A specific meeting was held in the Morocan fisheries ministry, to inform final results and conclusions and recommendations and distribute the ArtFiMed products and technical documents.

5.1 Website: www.faoartfimed.org

Since its publication, the Project’s website is continually updated.The FAO mediterranean projects harmonized the information and appearance of the different websites, to present a unified image to the visitors.A general description of the Project is available, as well as information on the recent or forthcoming events organized by the Project, the Mediterranean Regional Projects.

All the Technical Documents are available on the Project web site as pdf files. Over the last year, an average of 5983 visits in ArtFiMed webpage.

ArtFiMed Reports:

CopeMed II and ArtFiMed maintain a series of Technical documents and a series of internal documents. The list of technical documents produced by CopeMed II and ArtFiMed are available to the national focal points and donors in www.faoartfimed.org. Moreover a pack with copies of

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each document, books and guidelines was distributed to the main stakeholders in each country and to the donor. The list of all documents produced by ArtFiMed during their live are as follow:

Technical documents (12)

o TD Nº4 - Diagnostic initial des sites de pêche artisanal du Maroc et de Tunisie. 50p.2009. o TD Nº5 - Diagnostic du site de pêche artisanale de El Akarit (Tunisie). 54p. 2009. o TD Nº6 - Diagnostic du site de pêche artisanale de Ghannouch (Tunisie). 79p. 2009. o TD Nº7 - Diagnostic du site de pêche artisanale de Dikky (Maroc). 81p. 2009. o TD Nº11 - Rapport de la Rencontre sur la pêche artisanale dans le golfe de Gabès. 20p. 2009. o TD Nº12 - Rapport de la Rencontre sur la pêche artisanale en Méditerranée marocaine.17p.

2009 o TD Nº13 - Sistema de seguimiento del proyecto ArtFiMed (versión en ES et FR). 32p. 2010. o TD Nº16 - La pêche artisanale de la Dorade rose à Dikky. 20p. 2010 o Situation actuelle de la pêcherie artisanale du Thon rouge dans le détroit de Gibraltar en

Méditerranée marocaine. 43 p. 2011 o Rapport synthétique sur l’analyse des bases de données de suivi de l’activité de pêche du projet

ArtFiMed. 120p. 2011. o Rapport de la Journée nationale de concertation pour la mise en place d’une approche

stratégique de développement de la pêche artisanale en Tunisie. 46p. 2011. o Rapport de la Journée nationale de la pêche artisanale au Maroc. 40p. 2011.

Internal coordination committee reports (4)

1. TD Nº8 - Rapport de la première réunion de coordination du Projet ArtFiMed. 74p. 2009 2. TD Nº9 - Rapport de la deuxième réunion de coordination du Projet ArtFiMed. 30p. 2010 3. TD Nº10 - Rapport de la troisième réunion de coordination du Projet ArtFiMed. 12p. 2010. 4. TD Nº11 - Rapport de la quatrième réunion de coordination du Projet ArtFiMed. 23p.

2011. Guides (9)

1. Guide sur les tailles autorisées pour les principales espèces débarquées par la pêche artisanale à Ghannouch et Akarit (Golfe de Gabès, Tunisie). 35p. 2011.

2. Guide sur les tailles autorisées pour les principales espèces débarquées par la pêche artisanale à Dikky (Maroc). 25p. 2011.

3. Guide des engins de pêche artisanale utilisés à Ghannouch et Akarit (Golfe de Gabès, Tunisie). 34p. 2011.

4. Guide des engins de pêche artisanale utilisés à Dikky (Maroc). 20p. 2011. 5. Guide des espèces débarquées à Ghannouch et Akarit (Tunisie). 28p.2011. 6. Guide des espèces débarquées à Dikky (Maroc). 18p. 2011. 7. Guide du marin pêcheur en Tunisie. (Version française). 28p.2011. 8. Guide du marin pêcheur en Tunisie. (Version Arabe). 28p.2011. 9. Guide de la pêche artisanale à Ghannouch, Tunisie. 45p. 2011.

Documents presented in GFCM meetings

• Major activities of the ArtFiMed project: GFCM-SAC subcommittee 11th Session. Malaga, Spain, 30 November- 3 December 2009.

• Major activities of the FAO regional projects. GFCM. Twelfth Session. Budva Montenegro, 25-29 January 2010

• Major activities of the FAO regional projects, GFCM 34th Session, Athens, Greece, 14-17 April 2010.

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• Major activities of the FAO regional projects. GFCM. SAC Sub committee. St. George’s Bay, Malta 29 Nov - 2 Dec 2010

• Major activities of the FAO project: ArtFiMed. SAC-GFCM. Thirteenth Session. Marseille, France, 7-11 February 2011

• Major activities of the FAO regional projects in 2010. GFCM 35th Session. Rome, Italy, 9-14 May 2011.

Flyers and posters (14)

1. Diptyque : ArtFiMed. Développement durable de la pêche artisanal méditerranée au Maroc et en Tunisie (GCP/RAB/005/SPA). Version française. 2009 2. Diptyque : ArtFiMed. Développement durable de la pêche artisanal méditerranée au Maroc

et en Tunisie (GCP/RAB/005/SPA). Version espagnole. 2009 3. Diptyque : ArtFiMed au Maroc et en Tunisie. 2010. 4. Diptyque : ArtFiMed au Maroc et en Tunisie. Juin 2011. 5. Diptyque : La Journée nationale de la pêche artisanale au Maroc. 2011 6. Diptyque : Projet FAO CopeMed Pour la promotion du développement durable de la pêche

artisanale en Méditerranée depuis 1997. Journée nationale de la pêche artisanale au Maroc. 2011

7. Diptyque : Projet FAO CopeMed Pour la promotion du développement durable de la pêche artisanale en Méditerranée depuis 1997. Journée nationale de concertation pour la mise en place d’une approche stratégique de développement de la pêche artisanale en Tunisie. 2011

8. Triptyque : ArtFiMed, Desarrollo sostenible de la pesca artesanal en Marruecos y Túnez.versión española. 2009

9. Triptyque : ArtFiMed, Développement durable de la pêche artisanal méditerranée au Maroc et en Tunisie, version française. 2009.

10. Poster : Femme rural. Journée nationale de la femme rurale à Tunis. 2010 11. Poster: Le projet ArtFiMed. Journée mondiale de la femme rurale au Maroc. 2010 12. Poster : ArtFiMed au Maroc et en Tunisie: Vers une pêche artisanale durable: Associer la

pêche responsable au développement social 13. Poster : ArtFiMed en Méditerranée Marocaine: Vers une pêche artisanale durable: Associer

la pêche responsable au développement social 14. Poster : ArtFiMed en Tunisie: Vers une pêche artisanale durable: Associer la pêche

responsable au développement social Publications in medias

1. Pesca artesanal para reducir la pobreza. Revista Ruta Pesquera nº 66, 2pp. España. 2010 2. Préparation d’une émission télévisée sur le secteur de la pêche artisanale au Maroc TV,

2010 3. SUSTAINABILITY Vers une Pêche Artisanale Durable en Méditerranée : Associer la

Pêche Responsable au Développement Economique et Social. Revue INFOSAMAK, 2011 - Articles de presse à Tunisie pendant 2010 le projet Art Fi Med a fait l'objets de plusieurs articles de presse dont principalement: - Le journal la Presse:2/1/2010 - Le journal El Horria:2/1/2010 - Tunisie information (internet):2/1/2010 -Ces même article a été lu dans le journal dans la radio"jeune": le1/1/2010 -Présentation du projet à la radio "Gafsa"(Sud ouest de Tunisie)/le 2/1/2010

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Activities related with the donor (AECID, Spain)

Contacts with the donor have been maintained: telephone and mail contacts; visits to Madrid and meeting with the AECID Technical Cooperation Officers during visits to the African countries.

At request of the SG del Mar, the project’ staff prepared a draft proposal in March 2011 to extend CopeMed II, including the activities of ArtFiMed for 3 additional years. The project has reported twice a year to the Spanish donors on the activities of the project. AECID agreed in the extension, without increasing the budget, of the activities of ArtFiMed until the end of July 2011. The donor (including technical offices) has been invited and/or in copy of all the activities carried out by the project. A pack of documents, books and guidelines produced sent to AECID

A terminal report in Spanish and French prepared by the project to send to Spain.

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Annex 4: Report on the CopeMed II Project’s Progress

FAO CopeMed II CC05/2012/02

5th Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee Malaga, Spain 3-4 May 2012

Report on the intersessional activities of the Project

(May 2011-April 2012)

Introduction This paper summarizes the main activities carried out by the Project CopeMed phase II from May 2011(Madrid, Spain. 4th Coordination Committee meeting) to April 2012, including workshops, training, research activities and the technical assistance provided to the countries, as well as the cooperation established with the donors, the GFCM and the SAC and Sub-Committees and other relevant institutions. The work programme and recommendations of the 4th Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee were implemented. The activities carried out during the inter-committee period comply with the methodological framework of the Project and its mandate for this phase. This report details the main outputs of the Project activities and the results achieved with direct reference to the following Project Objectives:

1. Strengthening the national capacity to obtain statistical data on catch and effort, including biological and socio-economic data.

2. Strengthening fisheries scientific research and upgrading the research activity in the national and international context.

3. Strengthening the institutional capacity at national level (organization and network of fishery stakeholders, development of management strategies) and at sub-regional level (cooperation between countries and with Regional Fisheries Organisations).

A relevant aspect during the intersessional period was the situation in Tunisia and Libya. The Tunisian revolution retarded some meetings but without major consequences to the activities of the project. On the contrary the Libyan breakdown produced a lack in the communications with the national delegate. Contacts were established during the organisation of the Coordination Committee meeting. The summary of activities presented is grouped in five main components, which may cover one or more Project Objectives, as follows: 1. Strengthening the national capacity in the field of statistics 2. Strengthening the fisheries scientific research 3. Strengthening institutional capacity 4. Regional cooperation 5. Project communication

Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean. CopeMed Phase II

(GCP/INT/028/SPA; GCP/INT/006/EC) and ArtFiMed

35

1. Strengthening the national capacity to obtain statistical data on catch and effort, including

biological and socio-economic data.

In coordination with the FAO Subregional Office in Tunis (FAO SRNE), CopeMed provided technical support to Tunisia (Direction Générale de la Pêche et de l’Aquaculture) in preparing a diagnosis of the small scale fishery statistical system. This included identification of weaknesses and gaps and elaborating a draft project for monitoring these fisheries. It also supported the preparation of basic documents on the artisanal fisheries and the statistical system. The project also cooperated with EastMed and MedSudMed in the development of activities related to fisheries statistics training. As requested by SAC-GFCM, the project distributed the document on Socio-economic indicators prepared during CopeMed phase 1 to the SCESS. It was also included in the project Web page. Moreover CopeMed supported the participation of national experts in activities related with the SCSI. 2. Strengthening the fisheries scientific research and upgrade the research activity in the national

and international context. The interactions with the participating countries were further strengthened, and several missions were organised to the countries and research institutions; training activities and stocks assessment were supported with participation of north and south countries. The Project supported experts from the fishery research Institutions in international training courses, workshop and joint research activities. The project co-organised several joint meetings on shared stocks within the CopeMed region and others in coordination and collaboration with MedSudMed and the other FAO Mediterranean Projects. With the support of the project, experts from the CopeMed region jointly analysed and prepared assessments on different shared stocks of demersal and pelagic species. 2.1 Subregional research activities related with shared stocks of demersal species

� In coordination with MedSudMed, the project organized

� A Study Group to assess the stock of Parapenaeus longirostris in the Sicily channel area � A joint meeting on demersal shared stocks. During this meeting the evaluations of P.

longirostris stocks from Sicily channel and Alboran Sea were discussed and options for assessment of M. merluccius from the Sicily channel and a first meeting to evaluate this species in Alborán Sea were proposed.

� The project organised the second meeting of the Study Group on deep water rose shrimp

Parapenaeus longirostris in the Alboran Sea (Spain, 18 to 19 July 2011) hosted by IEO. Deep water rose shrimp is a major shared resource in Algeria, Spain and Morocco. � A preliminary assessment in GSA 01, 02 and 03 was carried out using Moroccan and

Spanish data. � Results presented to the SAC. The SCSA recommended improving the investigation on the

stock distribution and the data collection.

� CopeMed organized the 2nd meeting of the Study Group on the shared stock blackspot seabream Pagellus bogaraveo in the Gibraltar Strait area, between Spain and Morocco and

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updated the assessment carried out in 2010. This stock is currently exploited by different fleets from the two countries sharing some fishing areas. � To better delimit the stock and the management area, a joint study was recommended. � The SG proposed to compile new biological and economic data to improve future

assessments. � The mean level of catches (543 tons) is higher than the values calculated for the Fmsy,

recommending the harmonisation of the management measures in the two countries, including a pilot action to install green boxes already used by the Spanish fleet in the Tangier long-line and artisanal fleet.

2.2 Subregional research activities related with shared stocks of pelagic species

� Sardina pilchardus in Alboran Sea: three documents reviewing the progress in the “pilot

project for the management of small pelagic fisheries in the Alboran Sea” were prepared. � A WG on “Small pelagic fisheries in the Alboran Sea within the framework of the

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management” was created with the participation of experts from Algerian, Moroccan and Spanish research institutions and fisheries administrations and one NGO.

� Two meetings of this WG were organised in 2011 (Málaga, Spain, March and September 2011). In its framework, an assessment of the Alboran stock of S. pilchardus was carried out by experts from Morocco and Spain, and presented to the SAC WG on small pelagic fish. The SCSA recommended to improve the information on stock distribution and data collection in this area.

� The project co-organised, with MedSudMed, a Workshop on Coryphaena hippurus in

CopeMed II and MedSudMed Projects area (Palermo, Italy, 05 - 06 July 2011). CopeMed experts presented four scientific documents, all available as Occasional Papers at the project Web page.

2.3 Support the standardisation of common methodologies

� CopeMed contributes to the standardisation of common methodologies in the Mediterranean area

and supported � The participation of an expert in a MEDIAS survey at sea and � The participation of three experts from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in the EU MEDIAS

annual meeting (Ancona, Italy 28-30 /03/2011).

� CopeMed II in collaboration with INRH and CNRDPA is supporting actions on the implementation of the 40 mm square size bottom-trawl experimental survey . � Equipment was exported to Algeria by CopeMed and the project maintains contacts with the

CNRDPA to carry out the selectivity campaign during 2012. � CopeMed II is in contact with the INRH and the fishery administration in Morocco to carry

out the pilot research survey with a commercial vessel. � CopeMed II financed the participation of 55 experts from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia

according to requests from the national focal points and the GFCM, in different activities organised by the GFCM and by the FAO projects (mainly on the assessment of shared stocks).

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3. Strengthening institutional capacity at national and sub-regional levels � CopeMed co-organised, in cooperation with the Moroccan fisheries institutions and FAO office

in Rabat, the National artisanal fishery day in Morocco (Tangier, 2 June 2011) and prepared a technical document with the Conclusions and Recommendations for improvement of the management of these fisheries. The meeting report and a summary with the Conclusions and Recommendations were sent to the Moroccan Fisheries Administration.

� CopeMed co-organised, in cooperation with Tunisian fisheries institutions and FAO subregional

office in Tunis, a one-day meeting for discussion on a National approach for the development of artisanal fisheries in Tunisia (Tunis, 28 June 2011) producing a report with Conclusions and Recommendations.

� CopeMed supported the participation of 7 experts from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in

international training activities, covering Monitoring and Surveillance in fishery control systems, EAF, Stock Assessment and Fisheries Management.

� Project staff cooperated with the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat. Morocco

and the University of Agadir (Morocco) in the training of national and regional experts on fisheries. This included lecturing in the EAF course co-organised by FIRF in Morocco.

� In collaboration with the fishery administration of the Balearic Island (Spain), CopeMed

prepared an OP on the artisanal fishery of Coryphaena.

4. Regional coordination, cooperation and synergy

4.1 Cooperation and support to GFCM

Cooperation was further sustained with the FAO GFCM Secretariat and the FAO GFCM Subsidiary bodies. CopeMed II continued to support the activities of the FAO GFCM by providing scientific contributions for discussion and by participating and funding the participation of experts in the FAO GFCM meetings held in the intersessional period. CopeMed II in close coordination with MedSudMed, support the participation of national scientists in the following meetings organised by the FAO GFCM:

� 35th Session of the GFCM (Rome, May 2011) � Working Group on stock assessment of Demersal Species (Chania, Crete, Greece 24-29

October 2011); � Working Group on stock assessment of Small Pelagic Species (Chania, Crete, Greece 24-29

October 2011); � 2nd Transversal WG on By-catch, Antalya, Turkey, 7-9 Dec 2011; � GFCM - SAC - Sub-Committees meetings (Rome, Italy 23-26 January 2012); � GFCM Subregional Task Force Meeting (Rabat, 13-14 February 2012) � GFCM – 14th session Scientific Advisory Committee (Sofia, Bulgaria 20-24 February

2012). The Project’ staff participated actively in the SCs, SAC and GFCM by reinforcing the collaboration with the participating countries and the Commission.

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4.2 FAO coordination

All the FAO-led Fisheries Management Support projects in the Mediterranean are tightly coordinated and develop their activities in a joint way, among them and with the GFCM, whenever this can bring added benefits to the participating countries and the GFCM. During the intersessional period, the projects co-organized several Working Groups, Workshops and Training activities. This co-organization not only promotes the best use of limited human and financial resources, it also contributes to increase the linkages and connections among the fisheries researchers and managers of the whole Mediterranean. It is expected that the connections thus established, and the common language and methods shared, will also contribute to facilitating the reinforcement of the regional and sub-regional cooperation frameworks considered essential for sustainable fisheries management in the Mediterranean in the framework of the GFCM. To ensure a tighter coordination, all projects are represented in the Coordination Committee meetings of the other projects. This contributed to avoid overlap in activities, and to the planning of joint activities. Also, the project staff met all together twice yearly, once at FAO Headquarters and another at the GFCM SubCommittee meeting, to take stock of the development of the activities and problems faced by each of them, and to plan the joint or shared activities. This tight coordination and sharing of information and resources has already led to a significant increase in the number and importance of jointly-organised or shared activities. It also means that the total number of activities implemented has effectively increased, as the specific advantages (human or otherwise) of each project is put at the disposal of all the projects, avoiding duplication of efforts, reducing the wastage of resources. In coordination with the other subregional projects CopeMed II and ArtFiMed prepared to the SAC a document on “Major activities of the FAO regional Projects in 2011”. This document summarizes the most significant activities carried out by the FAO Regional Projects during the intersessional period of the SAC. Project activities include research and training programmes, workshops and working groups, as well as the technical assistance provided to the countries, the SAC and its Sub-Committees and Working groups. The document was presented to the SAC in Sofia (Bulgaria, 20-24 February 2012). In the framework of FAO decentralisation CopeMed II is reinforcing collaboration with the regional and subregional FAO offices in Cairo and Tunis respectively and the with the National FAO offices in the north African countries by liaising periodically, supporting joint initiatives on fisheries and sharing information on the activities and results of the Project. 4.3 Coordination with the donors

Following the decisions taken at its last Coordination Committee meeting, CopeMed II has also, in cooperation with FAO-FIRF, reinforced the coordination and contacts with the donors of the project, the European Commission and the Spanish Government. New options for support the project’ activities were also explored with France and Italy. � European Commission: Directorate general for maritime affairs and fisheries FAO, in coordination with the CopeMed staff prepared the technical and administrative documentation requested by the European Commission for the extension of the project; DG Mare was informed of all the activities carried out by the project and informal meeting with the EU delegates were celebrated during the GFCM and SCs meetings; a coordination meeting of the FAO projects’ coordinators and the DG Mare was held in Brussels (July 2011) to discuss together ways to improve and reinforce cooperation between the two organisations for the benefits of the fisheries

39

management in the Mediterranean; the project reported annually to the EU Commission on progress of the activities; the Commission was participating at the 4th CopeMed II Coordination Committee meeting. The EC secured additional funds and the activities of the project were extended to December 2012. In addition to the annual report, a document summarising the activities of the whole FAO projects and main achievements was prepared by FAO and sent to DG Mare in March 2012. � Spain: Secretaría General del Mar and AECID Contacts with the two Spanish donors have been continuous by different ways and in the course of meeting in Madrid and during GFCM sessions; FAO and the CopeMed staff prepared a proposal in 2011 to extend the project; SG del Mar and AECID approved new funds for complementary activities of CopeMed II during 2011; the project has reported twice a year to the Spanish donors. Documents produced by CopeMed and ArtFiMed distributed to the Spanish authorities.The Spanish donors have been informed of all the activities carried out by the project with active participation in many of them. Visits were paid to the representatives of Spain in the project countries. Thanks to additional funds secured by the Spanish donor the activities of CopeMed II have been extended until April 2013. A meeting with the new fisheries administration authority (Secretario General de Pesca) was maintained in April 2012. � A meeting was organized with the Fisheries and Aquaculture Director General in Paris,

France, to reinforce the collaboration with CopeMed II. The DG expressed the great interest of France in the Mediterranean area and in inproving the support to CopeMed but underlined the difficulties in the current economic circumstances.

� Following the suggestion of Italian delegate at the Coordination Committee of CopeMed the

coordinator met Italian fisheries responsible (MiPAFF) to reinforce the Italian collaboration with the project. The MiPAFF representaitve noted the interest of Italy in the activities of the Mediterranean projects under FAO - FI and suggested that FAO organizes a meeting of donor underlining that the coordination between donors is of utmost importance and would significantly improve on efficiency and effectiveness of the regional work.

4.4 Coordination, synergy and communication

CopeMed II participated in several meetings aiming at reinforcing coordination and disseminating project results and experiences: � 2nd Congress of the Spanish Network of Women in The Fisheries Sector: "Incorporation and

entrepreneurship of women in the fisheries sector" (Málaga, October 2011) � Meeting “Project elaboration on restoration and management of degraded Mediterranean

coastal wetlands and lagoons”. (Málaga, October 2011, Spain). � Sub regional meeting of the GFCM task force for the western and central Mediterranean sub

regions. (Rabat, Morocco. February 2012.) � MSC Fishery Certification in Developing and Emerging Economies: The Way Forward

(Madrid, February, 2012) � International Master on Sustainable Fisheries Management (March 2012, Spain) � The Near East and North Africa Regional Meeting on Reducing the Vulnerability of Fishers,

Fish Farmers and their Communities to Disasters and Climate Change Impacts (Muscat, Oman, 25 March 2012)

� The Near East and North Africa Regional Consultative Meeting on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Bringing Together Responsible Fishing and Social Development (Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 26-28 March 2012)

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� Participation and co-organisation the second meeting on « Coopération sous régionale dans le domaine de la recherche halieutique et Océanographique » (Casablanca, Morocco, 25-26 April 2012)

5. Project communication

CopeMed contributed to keep fisheries administrations, main fisher’s organisations and other stakeholders informed on fisheries and marine-related issues by distributing information generated by the project (meeting agendas and documents, technical and occasional documents) and results of the project, information from others sources (courses, meeting, documents, jobs opportunities), and i-bulletin with the main activities of the project members. 5.1 Website: www.faocopemed.org

Since its publication, the Project’s website is continually updated.The FAO mediterranean projects harmonized the information and appearance of the different websites, to present a unified image to the visitors. A general description of the Project is available, as well as information on the recent or forthcoming events organized by CopeMed and the Mediterranean Regional Projects. All the Technical Documents are available on the Project web site as pdf files. Over the last year, an average of 80,861 visits of CopeMed II webpage. 5.2 Technical Documents

The technical documents related to meetings and specific research activities promoted by the Project were finalised and published on the web site. The most recent Project publications are also disseminated through the Project’s mailing list. The following technical documents were finalised during the intersessional period:

1. Rapport de la Journée nationale de la pêche artisanale en Méditerranée Marocaine. FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 02

2. Rapport de la journée nationale de concertation sur la pêche artisanale en Tunisie. FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 03

3. Report of the first meeting of the working group on Parapeneus longirostris stock Algeria, Morocco and Spain (GSAS 01, 02, 03 and 04 of the GFCM). FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 04

4. Report of the CopeMed II working group on small pelagic fisheries in the Alboran sea. FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 05

5. Report of the Ad Hoc scientific working group between Morocco and Spain on Pagagellus bogaraveo in the strait of Gibraltar area. FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 06

6. Cours sur les methodes d’évaluation acoustique des espèces de petits pélagiques en Méditerranée. FAO-CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 07

Complementary the Occasional Papers series was improved and a total 9 documents were prepared during the intersessional period and presented to different Working Groups. Occasional papers al also available in the project Web page.

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Annex 5: GFCM provisional 2012-13 work programme

FAO CopeMed II CC05/2012/Inf 16

5th Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee Malaga, Spain 3-4 May 2012

GFCM Scheduled meetings for the 2012-2013 intersessional period

Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean. CopeMed Phase II

(GCP/INT/028/SPA; GCP/INT/006/EC) and ArtFiMed

42

WORK PROGRAMME OF THE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAC) 1. Set out below are the proposed lists of activities for the intersessional period 2012-13 as identified by the four SAC Sub-Committees and reviewed and completed by the SAC at its fourteenth session. Comments emanating from the Ad hoc Meeting to finalize selected outcomes from the 14th session of the SAC are included as footnotes. Draft Terms of Reference (ToRs) for certain activities are given in Appendix C to this document. Sub-Committee on Marine Environment and Ecosystems (SCMEE)

• Develop a Regional Management Plan for Red Coral

• Co-organize with the Ege University (Turkey) the International conference on Artificial Reefs that will be held in ðzmir (Turkey) in September 2013. It is suggested that this action be an alternative to the proposed Workshop on artificial reefs.

• On gear selectivity: - Complete the different database of TECHNOMED network and to re-activate the TECHNOMED website; - Elaborate a catalogue of fishing gears in the GFCM Area; - Co-organize with the CopeMed Project a meeting of the Working Group on Selectivity and fishing technology

• On the implementation of the medium-term elasmobranchs programme: - Produce factsheets to facilitate the identification of the most commonly landed species - Publish the updated version of the Draft GFCM publication on: Status of Elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. - Organize a training Workshop on elasmobranchs age reading methodologies.

Sub-Committee on Statistics and Information (SCSI)

• Launch a consultation phase for reviewing the Task 1 data submission framework.

• Organize a workshop to finalize the new Task 1 & 2 data submission framework and define a plan of action, possibly within the context of the Framework Program, for improving member countries’ capacity to collect and submit relevant data.

Sub-Committee on Economic and Social Sciences (SCESS)

• Organize a Workshop including a training component on bio-economic analysis-models used in the GFCM area. This Workshop should possibly be organized in collaboration with the EastMed Project and will be applied to three fisheries selected at the Ad hoc meeting of the SAC for which sufficient data are known to be available, namely: i) demersal trawl fishery in the Ligurian and North Tyrrhenian Sea, GSA09; ii) Parapenaeus and Merluccius trawl fishery in the Strait of Sicily, GSAs 12-16; and iii) demersal trawl fishery in the Gulf of Lions, GSA07 extended to species other than Merluccius.

• Undertake regional case studies related to the socio-economic analysis of Recreational fisheries and of small-scale fisheries.

• Hold a specific Working Group back-to-back to the forthcoming SCESS meeting on the review of the variables list of Task 1.3 and their related definitions.

Sub-Committee on Stock Assessment (SCSA)

• Organize the two Working Groups on Demersal and on Small Pelagic species including some species of elasmobranchs;

43

• Organize an expert consultation to elaborate the design and contents of the new Task 2 module;

• Contribute to the Joint ICES/EIFAAC/GFCM Working Group on European Eel.

• Organize a training course on the Time Series Analysis in the framework of the GFCM Permanent Working Group on Stock Assessment Methodologies (PWGSAM)

Ad hoc Working Group on Black Sea

• Organize a Workshop on data collection and information systems on fisheries in the Black Sea

• Organize a training course on direct and indirect stock assessment methodologies.

• Organize sub-regional stock assessments on small pelagic and demersal stocks (possibly in collaboration with STECF).

• Organize a workshop to assess IUU fishing and its impact in the region.

• Create, through the GFCM website, a common regional database of experts and research institutions working in the Black Sea area.

• Elaborate a publication on the most recent status of fisheries and aquaculture, as a result of the collaboration between the GFCM Secretariat and national experts from all riparian countries.

• Elaborate a technical publication on the main fishing gear and fleets typology. Revitalize

the joint GFCM/EIFAAC Working Group on Sturgeon.

Potential activities resulting from the Task force process and collaboration with partner Organizations 2. Several other actions could be envisaged as a result of the decisions that will eventually be taken by the Commission in relation to the activities of the Task Force and as deemed necessary within the framework of the different Memoranda of Understanding signed with partner Organizations and reproduced in document GFCM:XXXVI/2012/Inf.5.

Issues related to the functioning of the SAC and its Sub-Committees 3. The SAC at its fourteenth session reviewed the outcomes of the Expert meeting organized in the framework of the Task force to address the functioning of the Committee. In this respect, it was highlighted that the structure of SAC could be revised to the extent that Sub-Committees would meet back-to-back with the annual session, allowing the Sub-Committee meetings to also benefit from the simultaneous translation (English-French) and hence ensuring better involvement of the scientists, subject to the availability of funds and considering alternative options (e.g. reducing SAC session to four days in order to allocate the budget for the simultaneous translation). The next sessions of the SAC and of its Sub-Committees are scheduled according to this suggestion.

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Scheduled meetings for the 2012-2013 intersessional period:

Meeting Place/Date

GFCM/ICES/EIFAAC Working Group on EEL Rome?/

second half of 2012

International conference/Workshop on Artificial Reefs Turkey/

September 2013 Working Group on Selectivity and fishing technology (in collaboration with CopeMed II)

TBD/ last quarter of 2012

Meeting of the PWGSAM on Time Series Analysis Sicily, Italy/

September 2012 Working Group on the review of the variables list of Task 1.3 and their according definitions (back-to-back with the SCESS/SAC Session)

Egypt/ February 2013

SCESSWorking Group on bio-economic analysis models Tunisia/

last quarter of 2012 Workshop for finalising the new Task 1 & 2 data submission framework (SCSI)

TBD/ second half of 2013

Workshop to assess IUU fishing and its impact in the Black Sea TBD/

second half of 2013 Workshop on data collection and information systems on fisheries in the Black Sea

TBD/ September 2012

Training on direct and indirect stock assessment methodologies (possibly with the STECF)

Varna, Bulgaria/ 30 April - 4 May 2012

Sub-regional stock assessments on small pelagic and demersal stocks (possibly in collaboration with STECF)

Bucharest, Romania/ October 2012

Working Group on stock assessment of Demersal and elasmobranchs Species (SCSA) (5 days)

Split, Croatia/ 22-26 October 2012

Working Group on stock assessment of Small Pelagic Species (SCSA) (5 days)

Split, Croatia, 22-26 October 2012

14th Session of the SCSA (2 days) Egypt/ February 2013

13th Session of the SCMEE (2 days) Egypt/ February 2013

13th Session of the SCSI (2 days) Egypt/ February 2013

13th Session of the SCESS (2 days) Egypt/ February 2013

15th Session of the SAC (4 days) Egypt/ February 2013

2nd Session of the Working Group on Black Sea TBD/ first half of 2013

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DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE OF SELECTED ACTIVITIES AS AGREED BY THE SAC AT ITS 14th SESSION

1. Consultancy for the Elaboration of Regional Management plan for Red Coral

- Collect and organize all scientific literature on the Red Coral in the Mediterranean covering points II and III of Appendix E of the Report of the 2nd Transversal Workshop on red coral held in Ajaccio in October 2011.

- Collect information differentiating the use of ROVs for surveying and security and for scientific purposes, and also on the present research programmes performed on the use

of ROVs following REC. GFCM/35/2011/2. - Collect information on the socio-economic aspects of red coral harvesting both from the

fishermen and from the artisanal industry. - Formulate a draftregional management plan for red coral including advice for potential

technical measures.

2. (SCSI/SCSA/SCESS) Transversal Workshop on the new Task 1 & 2 data

submission framework to define a Plan of Action to improve member countries’ capacity to collect and submit relevant data. ToRs for the Consultant:

- Comparative analysis of Data Collection systems in other Regional Fisheries Management Organisations; - Analyse the relevant subcommittee and SAC reports, the GFCM performance review,

documents and work done by FAO sub-regional projects in relation to data collection and data submission to Task 1; - Revise the purpose of Task 1 and possible extension towards a Task 2, including the need

to standardise the methodologies for the collection and reporting of data; - Taking into consideration (i) the SCSI/SCESS analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities, (ii) the SCSI/SCESS discussion of a possible new Task 2, (iii) the

national potentialities, (iv) the need to keep memory of the data already submitted and (v) the need to build a cost effective system, define the structure of a refined Task 1 and a possibly a new Task 2 to hold all the information.

ToRs for the Working Group:

- Review the work done by the consultants and agree upon the final structure and definitions of Task 1 & 2;

- Propose actions to address, if needed, the remaining work to be done in order to have all variables included in Task 1 & 2 fully described and relevant agreed protocols for data

collection and submission; - Propose actions within the GFCM Framework Programme to address the gaps and

deficiencies in national fisheries information systems, together with FAO regional projects.

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3. Working Group on the review of the variables list of Task 1.3 and their relevant definitions (back-to-back with the SCESS Session)

- Review the economic components variables of the Task 1. 3; - Enrich, revise and/or fine tune the definitions provided for each of these variables.

4. Workshop including training component on the use of bio-economic analysis models used in the GFCM Area

- Training on the process of modelisation for bioeconomic purpose - Review the existing bio-economic studies and/or models in the GFCM Area - Simulation of the potential effects of management measures through practical sessions with case studies data selected by the SAC

5. GFCM/ICES/EIFAAC Workshop on EEL

- Consideration of data requirements for the assessment of the local stocks, and identification of data and knowledge gaps, focusing on the data reporting requirements of the EU and CITES

- Launch of a data call for the participants ensuring that the objectives of the meeting can be achieved. (i.e. eel production, yield and escapement, including physical habitat data (e.g. wetted area, productivity);

ToRs for the Workshop:

- Identification of available data, summary of published documentation, creation of a data inventory, analysis of gaps and identification of any management plans implemented;

- Assessment of local stocks; - Estimation of aquaculture production in the GFCM area; - Assessment of the anthropogenic impacts on the stock and its relation to the

targets/limits of the (national) Eel Management Plans (if present) and the (international) EU Recovery Plan and the need for non-detriment findings under CITES.

6. 3rd Meeting of the SCSA Working Group on Assessment Methodology (WGAM) on: Time

Series Analysis:

Objectives:

The main outcome of the working group would be the review the main methodological approaches of Time Series Analysis and the improvement of investigation of trends and patterns of fishery related indicators (resource, fleet and environment) in the GFCM area . The working group should be training oriented and the results of case studies that participants would provide, and that would be addressed by the WG within practical sessions, should be published in a handbook style with examples of real case data as an special issue of GFCM Studies and Reviews. The workshop will consist of practical sessions preceded by introductory sessions of the suitability of the different available methods taking into consideration the peculiarities of different kind of data. ToRs for the Working Group:

Time Series Analysis techniques will be applied to relevant data that may concern, but not be limited to, the following topics:

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- Estimation of abundance indices of fishery resources from commercial and fishery independent monitoring;

- Identification of environmental parameters acting as ecological factor on resources dynamics;

- Evaluation of fishing capacity, efforts and other fishery related data; - Estimation of Yield and biomass;

7. Working Group on Selectivity and Fishing Technology

Objectives

Enhance the knowledge in fishing technology of scientists and managers in charge of fisheries management; ToRs for the Working Group:

- Identification of the general characteristics of fishing gears components and of their use; normes and standard representation; how to read draws; material of construction;

- Identification of the general characteristics of main fishing equipment; navigation and prospecting means; winches and haulers for small and large vessels; - Identification of the technical component of a vessel of fishing power; link to fishing

efficiency and fishing mortality; - Identification of the technical component of the fishing economic efficiency: regulation

of fuel consumption; role of rigging and vessels characteristics in fishing capacity; - Legislation and control; - Selectivity studies and fishery evaluation; how to build the experimental process and the

samplers and selectivity devices; how to prepare the data analyse; - Technologies for reducing environment impact (substrate, species of conservation concerns, etc.)

8. Workshop on data collection and information systems on fisheries in the Black Sea

- assess the existing fisheries data and information systems; draw up an inventory of existing tools and methods for data collection and analysis; - produce standard criteria for establishing a harmonized data collection system in the

region taking in consideration the requirement for various users (GFCM, EU, BSC…).

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Annex 6: Priority activities for the 5th year of CopeMed II

FAO CopeMed II CC05/2012/04

5th Meeting of the CopeMed II Coordination Committee Malaga, Spain 3-4 May 2012

PROPOSAL OF PRIORITY ACTIVITIES FOR THE 5th YEAR OF CopeMed, Phase II This document aims to suggest to the Coordination Committee members elements for discussion on the Project Work Programme for the coming months. The project has been operative from February 2008 with an initial mandate for three years. The two donors, Spain and the EC have confirmed the extension of CopeMed from the initial NTE date in 2011 and the project continues operative with the support of the two donors: the new final date (NTE date) for the Spanish contribution is April 2013 and the funding from the European Commission has been extended until December 2012. CopeMed phase II aims at: (i) strengthening the national capacity to obtain fisheries statistical data; (ii) maintaining the sustainability of the marine resources in the Central and Western sub-regions; and (iii) facilitating the scientific cooperation among the countries from the Western and Central sub-regions of the Mediterranean. The overall objective of CopeMed Phase II aims at maintaining the sustainability of the marine resources in the Central and Western sub-regions and its ecosystem, taking into account environmental, biological, economical, social and institutional issues and facilitates the scientific cooperation among the Western and Central sub-regions of the Mediterranean. The project will continue to be executed by the Marine and Inland Fisheries Service (FIRF) of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Use and Conservation Division of FAO. Close collaboration and coordination with the other sub-regional Mediterranean Projects (AdriaMed, MedSudMed, EastMed and GEF_LME) and the GFCM is provided by FIRF Coordination. The proposed Workplan is built around the three immediate objectives and their corresponding activities taking into account the objectives and results achieved so far, the recommendations received during the 4th Coordination Committee meeting (April 2011, Madrid, Spain), as well as the recommendations produced by the different Working Groups established with the members in the frame of the project to reinforce the scientific cooperation.

Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean. CopeMed Phase II

(GCP/INT/028/SPA; GCP/INT/006/EC) and ArtFiMed

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The final Workplan that should be adopted, will take in consideration the proposals and recommendations of the members during the 5th Coordination Committee meeting, in accordance with the regional priorities expressed by the countries on the main components and according to budget availability. CopeMed Phase II. 2012-13 Workplan CopeMed, in coordination with the participating countries and the other FAO Mediterranean Regional Projects, particularly with MedSudMed, drafted the workplan avoiding any overlap, finding new synergies and strengthening the coordination and cooperation among the FAO Regional Projects and with the GFCM. In order to facilitate the presentation of the Workplan the activities are organized in six main components: 1. Technical support to countries on Statistics In collaboration with the FAO-RNE in Tunis, CopeMed will continue collaborating in supporting the implementation of the SSPAT (Statistical System for the Artisanal Fisheries in Tunisia) in order to improve the capacity of the fishery administration of Tunisia on fisheries statistics and related matters. According to the recommendation presented by the subregional CopeMed WG on the P. longirostris stock of the Alboran Sea, the statistical data from Algeria (GSA04) are fundamental to jointly assess the stocks using also the data from Morocco and Spain. The subregional CopeMed WG between Morocco and Spain to evaluate the stocks status of P. bogaraveo of the Strait of Gibraltar area proposed improving the biological and economic statistical data related to the fisheries and commercialisation of the resource in the two countries. The subregional WG on Small Pelagic Fisheries in the Alboran Sea recommended to exchange information between the INRH and IEO and the two national fishery administrations for improving the knowledge on sardine and anchovy exploitation. 2. Subregional research activities related to shared stocks in the CopeMed area Considering the strategic importance, the different WGs on shared resources organised by the FAO Projects (particularly by CopeMed or jointly with MedSudMed), as highlighted by the national experts during several WG meetings and the SAC Subcommittee on Stocks Assessment as the main cooperative framework to put together human resources, fisheries data and common methodologies for the analysis of the shared stocks between the western and central Mediterranean countries, CopeMed recommends to the Committee the support of the different meetings on shared stocks as the priority of the Workplan. The long-term objective of the WGs is aiming to promote and prepare concerted draft management plans proposals for the main shared stocks among the coastal countries of the CopeMed Subregion and to formulate common advice for fisheries management, in line with the indication set by the FAO Code of Conduct for responsible Fisheries (CCRF). The medium-term objectives are: to reinforce the subregional cooperative framework for stocks assessment; to improve the statistics and data quality and the capacity of the countries; to obtain the

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excellence on stocks evaluation; to agree on standard methodologies and to reinforce the visibility and applicability of the scientific advice.

Following the recommendations of the CopeMed WGs carried out in the period 2011-2012, including those in collaboration with MedSudMed, the activities related with the main shared stocks of demersal and small pelagic species proposed for the period 2012-2013 are as follow: Demersal stocks

CopeMed WGs on demersal shared stocks Following the outcomes and recommendations of the Working Groups on demersal stocks organised during 2011 by CopeMed or in close coordination with MedSudMed and the member countries, the project foresees: − The second meeting of the WG for joint stock assessment on Parapenaeus longirostris of the

Alboran Sea among Algeria, Morocco and Spain and particularly, � To perform joint genetic analysis and research on Parapenaeus longirostris in

Algeria, Morocco and Spain (GSAs 01, 02, 03 and 04) to identify if there is a single common P. longirostris stock.

� To perform research and experimental surveys on P. longirostris in the Strait of Gibraltar area to find out if it can be considered part of the GSAs 01-03 stock.

� To produce a scientific paper with all the information related to P. longirostris. � To update the first joint stock assessment among Algeria, Morocco and Spain.

− A first meeting of a new WG for stock assessment of Merlucius merlucius of the Alboran Sea

among Algeria, Morocco and Spain, back to back with the previous WG meeting. − A meeting to follow up the recommendations of the WG of Pagellus bogaraveo in the Strait of

Gibraltar area, including the joint plan on biological and economic sampling between Spain and Morocco.

� The WG recommended carrying out a joint study to clarify the P. bogaraveo stock structure in the ICES area IXa and in the GFCM Alboran Sea areas. This study should be the base to delimit the stock and management area.

� The lack of available biological samplings for this resource in Spain and Morocco since 2009 is a major concern for the WG. . The WG proposed two activities between Spain and Morocco to improve management and future assessments: i) a joint action to compile biological data in the Strait of Gibraltar area1 and, ii) to compile economic data usable for the management of this stock2.

� The WG recalled the project “ALBORAN” under the Junta de Andalucía in which Morocco fisheries administration is also involved and the possibility of discussing the installation of green boxes in the Moroccan fleet with the project funding. The WG recommended that the green boxes should be installed in the most important Moroccan fleets exploiting the red seabream fishery. To achieve this objective, the WG proposed to

1 Due to high cost of the biological samples in both countries, the WG proposed that biological sampling will be obtained jointly by the two research institutions (INRH and IEO) based on a monthly alternative sampling to complete an annual cycle. Both teams will exchange biological data in order to have a common biological database for the stock. This program would allow the institutions (IEO and INRH) to have available biological data with lower cost for the countries. 2 This data should permit to better understand the social and economic consequences of the different management measures. A joint planning of socioeconomic data collection can be established along with the INRH-IEO collection of biological data for blackspot seabream in the Strait of Gibraltar area.

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install the green boxes in the long-line and artisanal Tangier fleet and in the artisanal Ksar Sghir fleet.

� The WG recommended to deliberate on the management of this resource and to establish the same or similar management measures in both countries.

CopeMed & MedSudMed WGs on demersal shared stocks Moreover, in agreement with MedSudMed, it is foreseen the organisation of the Sicily Strait area WGs: − A meeting of the WG for joint stock assessment on Parapenaeus longirostris and Merlucius

merlucius in the Sicily Strait area, and − The Subregional Working Group on Shared Demersal Fisheries Resources in the CopeMed and

MedSudMed area (SWGSDR). The participants at the SWGSDR recommended to envisage the possibility of organizing the different WGs for the Alboran Sea and the Sicily Strait area separately but during the same week and in the same venue to the optimisation of the economic and human resources and for the easier organisation of a joint session to discuss on the methods applied and the results obtained. Progress on the identification of shared stocks Following previous works on shared stocks identified by the experts for the CopeMed subregion and the interest of the countries in including other species of commercial interest in the demersal WG on shared stocks, the projects will encourage the national experts to initiate discussions among them taking advantage of the proposed WGs. Cooperation on scientific documents In the WG meeting on P. longirostris of the Alboran Sea, the experts requested the support of CopeMed in order to produce a scientific document with all the information related to this stock and the correspondent fisheries. Pelagic stocks

CopeMed WG on small pelagic of the Alboran Sea In 2011 CopeMed organised a workshop (WS) on small pelagic stocks from the Alboran Sea and the first meeting of the WG for the evaluation of the stock of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) of the Alboran Sea (GSA01, GSA03 and GSA04) among Algeria, Morocco and Spain. Following the recommendations of the two WG meetings it was recommended: − The organization of a new meeting of the WG on S. pilchardus in 2012 keeping the dates of this

year (September 2011) to continue with the analysis of the stock between Morocco and Spain and to include the available data of Algeria. It was also recommended that the next meeting should take place in Morocco. The WG recommended to follow up the activities, including:

� To perform monthly length-frequency distribution analysis of Morocco and Spain catches for the period 2003-2008 in order to obtain accuracy and useful information on the exploitation pattern of both fleets and their similarities.

� To include one additional day of the WG meeting to review and analyse the existing information and the possibilities of collaboration in the definition of the status of the anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) of the Alboran Sea.

Cooperation on small pelagic scientific documentation The experts participating at the WG acknowledged the need of the elaboration a joint scientific document with relevant information on sardine, and particularly on the migration pattern in the

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Alboran Sea to improve the knowledge of the species in the region and to advance in the delimitation of the stock units. Definition of small pelagic shared stocks and associated research needs The WG on small pelagic was aware of the need of reinforcing the cooperation among the countries in the subregion and recommended: - A joint definition of the stocks of the main species and the correspondent fishing areas and the

convenience in drafting a common strategy for data collection and scientific information needs to produce stocks assessments of small pelagic in the Alboran Sea.

- That fisheries administrations and research institutions in Morocco and Spain may analyse the convenience of carrying out a joint acoustic survey in the Alboran Sea to evaluate simultaneously the sardine abundance and its distribution in GSA01 and GSA03. Research vessel and funds availability for the development of the survey were considered an opportunity for collaboration.

Ichthyoplankton and environmental issues Ichthyoplankton and related environmental parameters are of greater importance to improve the management of small pelagic stocks. The WG on small pelagic of the Alboran Sea recommended to CopeMed: − To improve the definition of shared stocks of small pelagic in the area by reinforcing research

cooperation on the abundance, areas of concentration and pathways of the larvae and eggs of sardine and anchovy in the Alboran Sea by applying traditional and new methods of research.

− To request the fisheries administrations from Morocco and Spain and the research institutions (INRH and IEO) to joint efforts to update the cooperative oceanographic survey carried out in the eighties between IEO and INRH on the distribution and abundance of eggs and larvae of sardine and anchovy, including the analysis of data and considering the influence of the Atlantic current; due to the lack of current information, such survey should be carried out during the spawning season of sardine.

Subregional Pelagic WG (SRPWG) Annual joint Subregional Pelagic WG (SRPWG) in collaboration with MedSudMed will be co-organised aiming to discuss the results of the different joint assessment and documents produced by the different WGs previously mentioned. 3. Training activities − Owing to the little participation of experts from the CopeMed area in the basic training course on

stocks assessment carried out between MedSudMed and EastMed (Sliema, Malta, December 2011), a subregional training course on basic stock assessment is proposed, to be organized in collaboration with the other subregional projects and the Fishery Resource Service, FAO FIRF.

The experts involved on the Pagellus bogaraveo shared stocks WG of the Strait of Gibraltar area recommended: − To organise training courses on stock assessment’s models for scientists working on red

seabream in order to improve their knowledge on the assessment and biology of this species.

− To carry out an on-the-job training workshop on biological parameters of P. bogaraveo for Moroccan experts. The WG recommended organising the workshop in Spain, taking advantage of the IEO experience and expertise.

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− On-the-job training in research vessels on standard methodologies for stocks assessment (demersal and small pelagic) by direct methods has been requested by some countries. CopeMed II should support experts from the project’s southern countries taking advantage, as in the past years, of the annual surveys at sea of the fisheries research vessels from the project’s countries, according the availability of on board space (See Appendix 1).

− Gears selectivity and fishing technologies: the GFCM workplan proposes to co-organize together

with CopeMed a meeting of the Working Group on selectivity and fishing technology. CopeMed’s proposal is the organisation of a short 5 days training course on selectivity for the western and central area as a first step to incorporate new young experts to the Mediterranean group of experts on selectivity and fishing technology, the GFCM network TECHNOMED.

− Gears selectivity and selection of parameters using the double cod-end with 40 mm square-mesh

size. CopeMed II will organise a subregional meeting with experts to jointly analyse the data obtained if the pilot selectivity survey on 40 mm square-mesh size is carried out in Algeria and Morocco and the data is available during the workplan period.

Other training activities that could be priority for the subregion or to some specific country, as for example training courses organised by CIHEAM on fisheries related issues, should be proposed by the national focal points. 4. Other subregional and national research activities Experts from the CopeMed countries were participating in the 2011 EU MEDIAS annual meeting on small pelagic standardisation. To reinforce the regional fisheries science and to facilitate the convergence in common methodologies for stocks assessment using direct methods in the Mediterranean, the participation of experts from the non EU-countries supported by CopeMed should be considered by the Committee. The experts of the small pelagic WG of the Alboran Sea recommended that: − The protocol for Acoustic Survey MEDIAS should be applied in the Alboran Sea region. − The WG should prepare proposals in order to advance in the standardization of methodologies

(direct methodologies and stocks analysis) for the next meeting. − The WG suggested the support of CopeMed II for the organization of a scientific network of

experts and specialists on small pelagic species of the three countries bordering the Alboran Sea and the creation of a site, within the CopeMed II web page, to include the experts and the information related to the small pelagic in Alboran Sea.

Closed season issue was discussed by the participants in a meeting organised by MedSudMed in Salambó (Tunisia, 2011). To harmonise the use of such management tool in the Projects area, collaboration between MedSudMed and CopeMed to address this issue should be decided by the Committee. 5. Regional cooperation South-South/ South-North cooperation perspectives

A three days meeting was organised in 2011 “Réunion des Instituts Nationaux de Recherche Halieutique des pays Maghrébins” held in Salammbô (21 - 23 Juin 2011, Tunisia). Following this first meeting of the Institutes and Fisheries and Marine Research Institutions that represents the continuation of the meeting organised by CopeMed I, a second meeting in Morocco (Casablanca, 25-26 April 2012) has been organised by the INRH with the participation of the GFCM, CopeMed and MedSudMed.

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CopeMed, aiming to reinforce the coordination, cooperation and synergies at Mediterranean level proposes the extension of the meeting of maghrebian countries to the other FAO Mediterranean countries in order to contribute to work together in the organisation of a “Mediterranean Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Organisation Network, MedFARO” that could help in better organising fisheries and aquaculture research in the Mediterranean region and also could be an instrument to improve the regional collaboration and to reinforce the capacities of those less favoured and developed countries in marine, fisheries and aquaculture research. A first step to the Network MedFARO could be the collaboration among the four subregional FAO Mediterranean projects in the organisation of the next meeting. Strengthening the cooperation with the other FAO Regional Mediterranean Projects The existing cooperation with MedSudMed Project will continue the improvement. Further collaboration with the other regional Mediterranean FAO-FIRF projects MedSudMed, AdriaMed, and EastMed will be reinforced. In this context, synergies are foreseen with the other regional Projects, taking into consideration the proposals during the coordination meeting among the FAO Projects and the indications of the donors to reinforce coordination and synergies. Coordination meeting of the Mediterranean Regional Projects has already been planned in 2012 in order to consolidate and coordinate common activities and to improve their visibility. The preparation of common informative materials that can improve the visibility of the FAO RPs in the Mediterranean area and in the international context is foreseen. Areas of cooperation have been increased on shared stocks (mainly with MedSudMed), stocks assessment, statistics, surveys at sea/direct methods, closed seasons and other aspects of fisheries research and fisheries management. Training activities will be coordinated among all the Projects, in order to avoid duplication or overlapping of activities and to better perform a regional approach to common problems. The participation of other RPs experts in training courses included by CopeMed II in the annual Workplan is foreseen, and vice versa. Coordination on the status of the knowledge of ichthyoplankton in the Mediterranean Sea: a proposal for a meeting of experts was recommended in the AdriaMed CC meeting. CopeMed supported a joint organisation in order to improve the information and the participation of experts involved on early-live stage research of the main target species. Strengthening the cooperation with the GFCM The Project will continue to strengthen international and regional cooperation at Mediterranean and CopeMed area level with the GFCM and its subsidiary bodies through the preparation of scientific contributions for GFCM events; the participation of experts from the CopeMed countries in GFCM WGs and technical meetings; and through supporting the members countries to be compliant with the GFCM requests, Resolutions and Recommendations. CopeMed also will inform the Commission regularly by preparing annual reports of the activities for the SAC and the GFCM meetings. Considering the new GFCM Framework Programme proposal, CopeMed in coordination with the FAO-FIRF and the other FAO subregional projects took part in the GFCM Task Force subregional meeting for the western and central Mediterranean region (Rabat, Morocco) and other related initiatives and GFCM meetings to improve cooperation in the region. CopeMed will continue working in close coordination with the GFCM Secretariat to avoid activities overlapping and funds misusing.

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Strengthening the cooperation with other initiatives in the region Cooperation with international institutions or projects and synergies with other initiatives partaking in the western and central Mediterranean region regarding fishery subjects will be sought for the sake of avoiding duplication of efforts and optimizing the use of financial resources. In particular, synergies are sought with the GEF Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystem - MedSea LME Project, for the identification of priorities for mainstreaming the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries into fisheries research and management and in the management of Marine Protected Areas by reinforcing the artisanal fishers’ participation. CopeMed II cooperation with CIHEAM/IAMZ (Spain) aims at supporting the participation of experts from the CopeMed countries in international courses on fisheries and fisheries related issues. Coordination with the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation IUCN-Med (Spain) particularly on issues related with coordination for activities foreseen in the CopeMed region, fisheries and marine environment is been reinforced by sharing information and documentation and by participating in meeting organised by the IUCN and vice versa. Cooperative initiatives on fisheries resources and fisheries with the Fisheries Department of the regional Government, Junta de Andalucia (Spain) are also reinforced particularly concerning to cooperation in activities carried out in the Alboran Sea area and to the fisheries on P. bogaraveo in the Strait of Gibraltar area. Strengthening participation of the countries in supporting the project extension

Following the mandate of the 4th Coordination Committee, the Coordinator visited two countries, France and Italy, to discuss with the related fisheries administrations options for higher implication on funding the project activities without finally obtaining additional resources. The coordinator is aware of the lifetime of the project due to possible restrictions in continuing funding the project from Spain. The Committee is invited to consider and discuss this matter and to propose possible new options to the Project for the extension of the activities and fundraising, as for example the possibility that some member countries of may co-fund the development of specific activities of the proposed workplan. 6. Reporting and documentation Technical documents

CopeMed will continue preparing documents for the CopeMed Technical Documents series corresponding to the last WGs and other meetings, including the finalisation of technical documents produced with data and information originated during the project ArtFiMed. Documents in preparation are among others: the Bluefin tuna fishery in the Tangier region; Report of the 2nd WG on Pagellus bogaraveo in the Strait of Gibraltar area; Analysis of the data base of ArtFiMed in Dikky (Morocco); Analysis of the data base of ArtFiMed in Tunisia; etc.

CopeMed Web site and visualisation

The project will continue reinforcing the visualization of the activities and results by updating the web page with news, documents, activities and information related to the project and the main activities carried out with the countries (http://www.faocopemed.org; http://www.faoartfimed.og ). Moreover:

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� The P. bogaraveo WG recommended to incorporate documents and a restricted common data base to the Institutions involved (INRH and IEO) stored in the CopeMed web page.

� The WGs on P. bogaraveo and on small pelagic proposed the creation of a site under the CopeMed web page for documentation (documents generated in the WGs and other useful information), experts network, etc., for these two stocks.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS BY THE COMMITTEE

The achievement of the activities should depend on the attention of the National Focal Points. The project is proactive in promoting activities according to the available budget and the time restrictions. Nevertheless, the countries representatives have the final decision on initiatives implementation and the participation of experts from each country. The Committee is invited to review the Workplan and to provide general guidance to the Project.

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Appendix 1

CopeMed II. National campaigns for stocks assessment of small pelagic and demersal for the period September 2011-September 2012. (Please indicate in the last column (Comments) if you: i) could facilitate the participation of experts from other countries, indicating the number or, ii) you need the support of experts (indicating the nº) from other CopeMed countries to help in your national campaign.

Country Campaign for small pelagic

Research vessel and period

Campaign for demersal

Research vessel and period

Comments

ALGERIA

ALPEL 2011 Grine Belkacem

-18 September to

17 October 2011

ALDEM 2011 -Grine Belkacem - juin to july).

- ALPEL: is actually working, we will identify the needs after the end of the campaign. - ALDEM 2011 need demersal expert for assistance, - Need training on: schlerochronoly (otoliths reading, scale readings, illicium) and cartography or SIG. - Need expert for using EM710.

FRANCE

ITALY

LIBYA

MALTA

MEDIAS 2012

- R/V Dalla Porta - Usually between July & August - Subcontracted to IAMC-CNR Capo Granitola

MEDITS 2012 - Vessel still unknown as this is decided through tendering procedures - June & July

- MEDITS 2012 has 1 place for foreign experts, preferably speaking English or Italian - If age reading will be introduced as part of the MEDITS protocol, MEDITS 2012 will need an expert on otoliths reading

MOROCCO

TUNISIA

SPAIN

MEDIAS 2012

R/V Cornide de Saavedra Fin de Junio a fin de Julio 2012?

MEDITS 2012 1.Alboran: (GSA01) 2. Levante: (GSA04) 3. Baleares: (GSA05)

R/V Cornide de Saavedra

1.Alboran: 26/04 (10 dias) 2.Levante: (25 dias) 3.Baleares (10 dias) 11 of June

1. 2. 3. IEO could facilitate 1 or 2 places for experts from other countries (Enric Massuti)

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Annex 7: Summary of the MEDISEH project (information provided by L. Knittweiss, Malta national focal point)

The European project MEDISEH – Mediterranean Sensitive Habitats – is Specific Contract No 2 (SI2.600741) "Compilation and mapping of environmental and fisheries related information in the Mediterranean Sea by means or Geographical Information Systems (GIS)" is part of the MAREA (Mediterranean Halieutic Resources Evaluation and Advice) project consortium. MAREA was formed following the publishing of the tender MARE/2009/05 – LOT 1 by the European Commission.

MEDISEH has multiple objectives, and one of its targets is to compile historical and current data from the Mediterranean regarding in particular: (1) habitats protected under the Mediterranean regulation, (2) nursery areas and spawning aggregations of demersal and small pelagic fish and (3) areas under any form of protection within national and international legislation.

Given that MEDISEH is revising information from the entire Mediterranean basis, the scientists involved are collating as much information from EU funded projects, FAO funded projects and national projects as possible. Data from certain EU projects (France and Spain in particular) as well as from non-EU and north-African countries is still lacking. In particular access to reports / data and collaboration in the evaluation of results on the distribution of phanerogams, coralligenous, small pelagic and demersal fish spawning and nursery grounds as well as Marine Protected Areas or Fishery Restricted Areas is needed. To facilitate this, the MEDISEH project requested the financial support of the CopeMed II project for the participation of a number of scientists in the 3rd meeting of MEDISEH.

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