Shaping an Holistic Approach to Protect the Adriatic Environment between coast and sea (SHAPE)

The project aims at the development of a multilevel and cross-sector governance system, based on an holistic approach and on an integrated management of the natural resources, risk’s prevention and conflicts resolution among uses and users of the Adriatic coast and sea. Project activities promote the application and the successful implementation of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol in the Mediterranean and the Roadmap for Maritime Spatial Planning in the Adriatic region.

Invitation to project events as speakers, exchange of information and data.

Marine Litter in European Seas - Social Awareness and Co-Responsibility (MARLISCO)

The main objectives of the MARLISCO project are to increase the awareness of the consequences of societal behavior in relation to waste production and management on marine socio-ecological systems, to promote co-responsibility among the different actors, to define a more sustainable collective vision, and to facilitate grounds for concerted actions through the successful implementation of the MMLAP. The main focus is to provide and evaluate mechanisms to enable society to perceive the impact of litter on the marine environment, to identify the land-based activities that are involved and collectively arrive at solutions to reduce that impact – in particular solutions that can be implemented locally but have a regional effect.

Integral networking of fishing sector actors to organize a responsible, optimal and sustainable exploitation of marine resources (FAROS)

By its volume of production, the fishing industry occupies a prominent place among the economic activities of the European community. In fact, the economic relevance of this sector has prompted the development of a common fishing policy oriented towards the conservation and regulation of fish resources and aquaculture. In this regard, clear actions of environmental and ecological character have been contemplated in order to contribute to the sustainable and rational exploitation of the resources, as well as to minimize the adverse impact that the discards/residues generated by this activity would produce on the environment.

Pilot Project: Removal of Marine Litter from Europe’s four Regional Seas (MARELITT)

With the overall objective of assisting EU Member States in reaching the objective of achieving ‘good environmental status’ (GES) of all EU marine waters by 2020, MARELITT will assess existing marine litter removal projects in Europe’s four regional seas from the organizational, economic and environmental angles. This assessment will allow the definition of good practices. Subsequently, organizations will be identified and invited to host a project and to continue developing the good practices after the project period. The capacity of the organizations will be strengthened through the project, via training and guidance. In addition, the results of the project will be disseminated through a web-based toolkit providing guidance to stakeholders that want to establish their own litter removal project.

Exchange of information and documents. Organization of joint events.

Maritime Operational Programme Italy - France 2007-2013

Sistema integrato per il Monitoraggio e il Controllo dell’Ambiente Marino(MOMAR)

The overall objective is to develop ICT devices, apply numerical models, develop informational and organizational actions to bridge the gap in environmental analysis and monitoring of the Sea (Corsica, Liguria, Sardinia and Tuscany), contributing to its efficient exploitation (better use of resources) and effectiveness (aimed at decision-making and management of the sector).

This initiative is promoted by divers who collect waste and derelict fishing gear on the Dutch North Sea, fresh water lakes and international waters. Their roots are found in North Sea wreck diving and the participation in project ”Duik de Noordzee Schoon”. Along the way, a large group of volunteers joined us and help us in our mission till the moment we decided to act global. They started the international oriented team called Ghost Fishing and start working with other dive teams worldwide. The volunteer team is based on technical divers. The main goal of Ghost Fishing is to establish a global network of divers working together on lost fishing gear removal and sharing their knowledge and skills. To achieve this, they regularly work with other teams and projects to exchange knowledge and to remove lost or discarded fishing gear.

Strategies for Marine Litter and Environmental prevention of sea pollution in coastal areas  (SMILE)

The LIFE SMILE project’s main aim focuses on reducing and recovering marine litter in coastal areas. This will be achieved through the development of governance processes for implementing an innovative ‘catching mechanism’ for marine litter in a pilot area. All work will contribute to the region’s ICZM operations. Specific actions will include: Implementation of an integrated approach to solid waste management; Extension of existing ICZM operations further inland; Standardization and harmonization of related monitoring programmes; Development of governance processes, at local and regional level, for promoting more shared policies and actions in coastal areas; Implementation of a catching mechanism to reduce and prevent the transport of solid wastes from river basins, including a cost/benefit analysis of the system. Raising the awareness of environmental stewardship amongst sea and coastal users in order to improve the efficacy of existing law and regulations in addressing marine litter problems.

Integral Management Model of recovery and recycling of the proper solid wastes from the fishing and port activities (3RFISH)

The main objective is to improve the quality of marine waters and seabed through the correct use of the devices and equipment that are handling in the fishing sector, together with the proper solid waste management and recycling from those activities. specific objectives:

• To develop an integrated management and recycling system for the main three types of solid waste from fishing and port activities: fishing nets, packaging polystyrene and lighting devices.
• To promote and implement good practices on waste management, both on board and in ports areas.
• To establish innovative systems for management and recovery of the mentioned waste, from the beginning of its life cycle until the last treatment.
• To promote practical cooperation among the key sector stakeholders in order to define a set of potential uses or market opportunities for recovered waste, both economically and environmentally sustainable.
• To technically and economically evaluate the potential implementation of a management plan for port & fisheries waste in Galicia and Portugal ports.

The Healthy Seas initiative aims to remove waste, in particular fishing nets and other marine litter from the seas and oceans for the purpose of creating healthier seas and recycling marine litter. The objectives are:

1. To identify and to implement sustainable and coordinated activities related to the removal of fishing nets and other marine litter from the seas and the oceans.
2. To recycle as much as possible of this waste into raw material, to be reused for the production of new, attractive products such as socks, carpets, swimwear, etc., which the consumer can recognize as being generated through the initiative, and therefore being beneficial for the seas.
3. To create a cooperation model in which NGOs and businesses work together in a sustainable and rewarding manner for a better planet.

In 2009, the Blue Line System team sensitized citizens about the ALDFG problem developing a pioneer research project in Brazil through a partnership between the Foundation Forestry and the Institute of Fishing of Secretariat Supply of the State of São Paulo in Brazil. The goal was to identify, quantify and map the abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gears. To achieve the goals a methodology called blue line system was developed. During three years of operation and 8 Clean up Dive Campaigns 1.5 tons of lost gears have been retrieved.

Exchange of information and methodology. Possible cooperation in future projects.

The project will deliver a commonly-agreed approach to cross-border MSP in the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion, considered as a whole and more specifically through two Focus Areas (Northern Adriatic Sea; Southern Adriatic / Northern Ionian Sea). The proposed approach will be based on the best knowledge available, will be developed with the support of Institutional partners and observers and the involvement of all main stakeholders and will provide detailed proposals and recommendations for the implementation of cross-border MSP.

Exchange of information. GHOST representatives included into the key stakeholders of  ADRIPLAN.

Reef Check Italia Onlus is a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of two ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and Mediterranean Sea rocky reefs. Founded in 2008, Reef Check Italia originates from a partnership between the Reef Check Foundation Monitoring Program for coral reefs, officially recognized by the United Nations, and the MAC Project (Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Environment), designed and proposed in 2006 by some researchers of the universities of Genoa, Polytechnic University of Marche and Bologna. Since 2006, the monitoring program of the Mediterranean Coastal Environment (CEM) is based on the data collection of presence / absence of certain indicator species, on quantitative surveys of fixed stations, using the technique of squares and on the measurement of temperature variations along the Italian coasts.

In line with UNEP RAC/SPA's MAP (2001)mand the National Action Plan on MArine Turtles which the Italian Ministry of Environment is currently drafting, the project TARTALIFE, involving all 15 Italian regions overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, aims at reducing the mortality of Carretta caretta and thus contributing to the conservation of the species in the Mediterranean, via 2 specific objects:

-reducing bycathches caused by pelagic longline, bottom trawl and fixed nets disseminating circle hooks and TEDs and testing STARs and a new type of pot;

- reducing post-capture mortality, training fishermen and strengthening the Marine turtles First Aid/Rescue Centers.

The project aims to trigger a process of aquatic angiosperm recolonizationin SIC IT3250031 "Northern Lagoon of Venice", mainly through the transplantaion of Zostera marina and Nanozostera noltii.

Project objectives are:

1. Consolidating and restoring aquatic habitat 1150* via transplantaion of submerged aquatic angiosperms;

2. Contributing to the achievement of good ecological status in transitional water bodies, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed measures in terms of meeting the objectives set by the Water Framework Directive (Dir. 2000/60/EC);

3. Quantifying the ecosystem servivìces provided by the lagoon environment and the aquatic angiosperm of habitat 1150* in particular.

The LIFE VIMINE project aims to define and implement an integrated approach to the protection of salt marshes from erosion and landscape management in the northern part of the Venice Lagoon.

The project realizes micro low-impact bioengineering works to protect few critical eroding spots on the salt marshes borders, to stop erosion before it degenerates, assigning a key role to the design, monitoring and maintenance phases of protection works.