The University of Algarve (UAlg) is one of the entities that will participate in CetAMBICion, a project that wants to develop «a coordinated strategy for the assessment, monitoring and mitigation of impacts of fishing on cetaceans, in the sub-region of the Bay of Biscay and Costa Iberian”.
The initiative will be coordinated by the Superior Council for Scientific Research (CSIC – Spain), bringing together various organizations from Portugal, Spain and France.
CetAMBICion aims to “strengthen collaboration and scientific research between the three countries to assess the state of cetacean populations and reduce their accidental catches. Among the actions to be developed until 2023, technical measures will be identified and proposed with a view to reducing these catches”, says the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, which is also part of the project.
Over two years, this initiative "will deepen scientific knowledge on the distribution, habitat, abundance, demographic characteristics, mortality rates and impact of fishing on cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast", also aiming to assess "the effectiveness of mitigation measures, in order to achieve good environmental status within the scope of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive».
Among the priority species to be studied in the project are the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the boto (phocoena phocoena), the bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus), the orca (Orcinus orca), the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the dwarf whale (acutorostrata Balaenoptera) and the Zyphius (Ziphius cavirostris).
The project involves 15 partners from public administrations and public research and conservation bodies, in collaboration with the fisheries sector and Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
On behalf of Portugal, the Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM), the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation (ICNF) will participate, along with UAlg. ) and the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
Spain will participate through the coordinating entity (CSIC), the AZTI Foundation (AZTI), the Biodiversity Foundation (FB), the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), the General Secretariat for Fisheries (SGP) and the State Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA ). France is represented by partners from the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MTE), the University of La Rochelle (LRUniv) and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFP).
The project is part of the DG ENV/MSFD 2020 (DQEM) call of the European Commission, being developed in line with the requirements of the Habitats Directive and the Common Fisheries Policy. The planned activities will be developed with the fishing sector.
Comments