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people meeting at event bridging the gap in Malta 2022

Bridging the Maritime Skills Gap. Succesful WestMED event helps identify possible solutions in Malta

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Today the WestMED Initiative (Malta) in collaboration with the Malta Maritime Forum organised an event entitled “Blue Skills: Bridging the Skills Gap through Education and Ocean Literacy”.

The event was successful in bringing together the views of the captains of industry and academia who identified skills shortages and possible solutions to the skills gap shortages that are afflicting the industry.

The event sought to strengthen cooperation between all stakeholders in order to address labour market frictions that hamper employers from their much-needed talent and skills that sustain their business models.

Moreover the event also focused on the important role of ocean literacy in order to bridge the gap highlighting the importance of engaging youths, students as well as NGOs within the industry.

The work conducted by the Union for the Mediterranean on blue skills was also presented in the event and colleagues from the Atlantic Assistance Mechanism presented the work conducted on blue skills and ocean literacy in the Atlantic.

The event was purposely timed to coincide with Maritime Day and enjoyed official recognition as a ‘European Maritime Day (EMD) In My Country’.

Besides key industry and academia representatives, other participants in the event included the Hon Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects; the Hon Ivan Castillo, Shadow Minister for the Maritime Sector; Perit Karmenu Vella, former European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries; and Mr Joseph Bugeja, Chairperson and CEO of Transport Malta.

More information: contact Stephanie Vella or Annabel Vella at our WestMED National Hub Malta

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E-Learning program launched: “Fostering and managing Blue growth Potential in the Mediterranean

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Source: Interreg Mediterranean-Blue Growth

In the context of the INTERREG EURO-MED Academy, the Blue Growth Community is launching the next 16th of May 2022, the online programme “Fostering and Managing Blue Growth Potential in the Mediterranean”.

This e-learning programme is addressed to the next Generation of Mediterranean Leaders on Inclusive and Sustainable Development both from the Northern and Southern shores. This entails a very wide audience having a direct relation to the Blue Growth sector, from young people involved in the blue economy governance to young entrepreneurs and practitioners working in business support organizations (BSOs), NGOs, research institutions, etc.

Therefore, all stakeholders coming from the public/private sectors and civil society interested on Blue Growth will have the opportunity to benefit of this free learning programme that offers a global coverage of all thematic areas of Blue Economy.

Using different training tools such as 7,5h of pre-recorded lectures, available side material for studying (documents, videos, links, etc.), assessment tools (short tests and an exercise), one live webinar and a final event (with key-note speeches and selected presentations of the participants and students), this programme will offer:

  • Modules: 10 short modules structures in the following thematic:
    1. Potential of Blue Economy in the Mediterranean
    2. Marine Renewable Energy (1st part)
    3. Marine Renewable Energy (2nd part)
    4. Sustainable Tourism
    5. Greening the Ports
    6. Fisheries & Aquaculture
    7. Unlocking the potential of Blue Bioeconomy through biotechnologies
    8. Maritime Security & Maritime Surveillance
    9. Maritime Spatial Planning
    10. How to reconcile Blue Economy and Marine Environmental protection

 

  • Course duration: 5 weeks (recommended)

 

Through a dedicated section under each Module, the participants will have the opportunity to overview innovative results and tools produced by the projects of the Blue Growth Community and beyond.

The Blue Growth Community e-learning program “Fostering and Managing Blue Growth Potential in the Mediterranean” will take place from the 16th of May to the 11th of July 2022.

Find more information here.

ENROL NOW!

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Survey for Nautical Companies to Understand Potential of Innovative Marine Robotics

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Blue Roses is an EU funded project, developed by a consortium of research institutions and companies (Navigo and Aninver – IMC Worldwide among them), to use state-of-the-art marine robotics to develop innovative and sustainable underwater services for marinas and leisure boats.

The aim of the project is to facilitate access to the underwater environment through the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and associated ICT. This ‘new dimension’ will help marinas attract and grow interest from diversified users. The robots can be used in a variety of functions, including yacht hull monitoring, remote access to underwater sites, monitoring of sea beds and many other applications.
The three scenarios considered by the project, in which we seek to identify and analyze innovative services and business models, are:
1. Remote access to naturalistic and/or cultural underwater sites (Pilot 1)
2. Robotic-based waters and seabed monitoring inside marinas (Pilot 2)
3. Robotic-based monitoring of yacht hulls for security and support to refit and dismantling

This survey is part of the research to understand the potential of innovative marine robotics services and business models. Your collaboration is highly appreciated. Your personal data will only be used for statistical purposes and none of the consortium members will store or further use this information.

Take me to the survey here

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The WestMED Maritime Cluster Alliance helps pave the way for establishing a Mauritanian Maritime Cluster

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In the framework of the activities of the WestMED Maritime Clusters Alliance, and thanks to the organization of the WestMED Mauritanian National Coordinator and National Hub, the first event aimed at the establishment of a Maritime Cluster in Mauritania, has shown the importance of such a process in the growth and consolidation of local ecosystems for the Blue Economy and beyond.

Taking inspiration from the good practices from Tunisia, with its CMT (Cluster Maritime Tunisien), the participation of the Secretary General of the Union of Arab Maghreb and the President of the Central African Francophone Maritime Cluster (together with the main European networks of maritime clusters – ENMC, ECA), well represents the significance of a joint undertaking of the same challenge at regional level.

Countries where this process is at its early stage, find a strong support in this common effort and the requests expressed by the Mauritanian actors, during the networking session, have clearly underlined the need for support: institutional anchoring, sustainable model for clusters establishment and development, financial resources to encourage research &i nnovation, progressive inclusion of local ecosystems in European supply chains (towards Euro-Mediterranean ones).

The WestMED Maritime Clusters Alliance, through its inclusive activities, is going to ensure and facilitate suitable answers to this capacity building demand, within South-South and also North-South through actions/partnerships/projects.

The next event related to this topic, during event during the SEAFUTURE 2021, will mark another step of this ongoing process, in the same direction.

More information
Contact the National Hub Italy for more information

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Algerian-Italian fisheries partnership | نحو شراكة جزائرية ايطالية في مجال الصيد البحري

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Publié le 

نحو شراكة جزائرية ايطالية في مجال الصيد البحري

إستقبل السيد سيد أحمد فروخي، وزير الصيد البحري و المنتجات الصيدية، يوم الاثنين 08 مارس 2021 ، سعادة سفير ايطاليا بالجزائر السيد جيوفاني بوقلياز، بمقر الوزارة

وسمح اللقاء باستعراض سبل تطوير التعاون و الشراكة ما بين البلدين في ثلاثة مجالات، تخص كل من صيانة و بناء سفن الصيد البحري، صناعة تربية المائيات و تسمين التونة الحمراء

كما إتفق الطرفان على تنظيم لقاءات عبر تقنية التحاضر المرئي عن بعد ما بين المهنيين و مجهزي السفن الجزائريين و الايطاليين، لتطوير مشاريع شراكة و استثمارات اقتصادية في عدة مجالات ذات الاهتمام المشترك

المشترك

Meeting between Mr. Ahmed Ferroukhi, Minister of fisheries, and Mr the Ambassador of Italy in Algeria, Mr. Giovanni Bouklyaz. The meeting allowed a review of ways to develop cooperation and partnership between the two countries in three areas, related to each of the maintenance and construction of fishing vessels, the aquaculture industry and red tuna fattening. The two parties also agreed to organize a virtual meeting between Algerian and Italian professionals and ship suppliers to develop partnership projects and economic investments in several areas of common interest.

 

 

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Pesceinrete: Le imprese ittiche della Mauritania aderiscono alla fiera di Assoittica

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Source: Pesceinrete/ Domenico Letizia
Original article: https://www.pesceinrete.com/le-imprese-ittiche-della-mauritania-aderiscono-alla-fiera-di-assoittica/

 

Nel Paese le opportunità legate alla pesca sono tantissime e le imprese locali vogliono inseguire innovazione e sostenibilità.

Anche la Mauritania aderisce alla fiera ittica virtuale mondiale di Assoittica Italia, la fiera Digital Seafood Trade Show. In Mauritania, la piccola pesca è minacciata da un sistema invasivo e legato alle vecchie logiche industriali: le flotte industriali, spesso straniere, razziano il mare ricco e pescoso a discapito delle comunità locali dove il pesce viene trasformato e non solo è fonte fondamentale di sostentamento, ma anche di reddito.

Tuttavia, nel Paese le opportunità legate alla pesca sono tantissime e le imprese locali vogliono inseguire l’innovazione e la sostenibilità per riscrivere le logiche dell’industria ittica nazionale. Il settore ittico è uno dei settori più importanti per l’economia del Paese. Le particolari condizioni climatiche permettono alla Mauritania di essere considerata uno dei paesi con aree costiere maggiormente produttive. Il maggior centro economico del Paese, Nouadhibou, è sede di pesca industriale e artigianale, ed è considerato un centro strategico per la sua posizione geografica ma anche perché è il centro decisionale del paese.  Il fenomeno rende Nouadhibou una delle regioni più ricche al mondo in termini di risorse ittiche. La Mauritania è considerata una delle poche aree al mondo in cui il settore ittico presenta ancora importanti margini di crescita.

Ben diciassette sono le imprese ittiche della Mauritania, raggruppate attorno alla Fédération de pêche des mareyeurs exportateurs, distributeurs et collecteurs (FPMEDC), che parteciperanno ai lavori del Digital Seafood Trade Show. La FPMEDC, presieduta da Moustapha Sidi Mohamed, è un sindacato professionale mauritano che riunisce la maggior parte degli operatori del settore della pesca, gestito da un team di professionisti e imprenditori. Aumentare il reddito dei pescatori  locali e contribuire a facilitare un positiva integrazione economica dei protagonisti ittici del Paese per una buona gestione dello sfruttamento delle zone costiere è tra gli obiettivi della storica organizzazione che aderisce alla Fiera ittica virtuale di Assoittica Italia. Le aziende della Mauritania che aderiscono alla fiera virtuale sono SMMCS Sarl, Valencia Fri60, Mauritania Peche, Interpesca Frigo, Est Ndm, Cosm Frigo, Mhamed Taleb, Nord Fish, Ico Peche, Union Trarza, Ecab, Muritanibest, Ets Khalifa, Tl-Peche, El Mansour Peche e Fleur De Tatlantic. Il Governo della Mauritania nel 2013 ha inaugurato una Free Zone nella regione. L’obiettivo strategico del progetto è quello di attrarre gli investimenti esteri e contribuire al consolidamento di partnership per colmare il gap infrastrutturale e favorire lo sviluppo sostenibile della pesca.

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Take part in the Seabed 2030 survey – closes end of April 2021

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Source: NLA International on behalf of Seabed 2030

Last year NLA International Ltd working on behalf of Seabed 2030, launched an online survey to find out more about the status and potential of mapping the ocean floor. The survey collected views from across all interested sectors to help us better understand issues such as:

  • Why stakeholders feel it is important to map the seabed.
  • How interested parties are estimating the environmental, social and economic value of seabed mapping.
  • Where are the most urgent priorities for seabed mapping.

All of this will help us to corroborate – or challenge – existing thinking, and hopefully identify any areas of the seabed that may benefit from a more joined-up / collaborative approach.

We have been really delighted with the responses thus far – we have received nearly 470 detailed responses to date – and are currently hard at work analysing the initial findings.

However, it is not too late to have your say! We will be keeping the survey open until the end of April, and we would be very grateful if you could contribute your views.

To access the survey, please click here.

More information

Read the article: Marine Geospatial Data: the Cornerstone of the Blue Eonomy

Read more about the seabed 2030 Initiuative:  100% of Ocean Floor mapped by 2030

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A new agenda for the Mediterranean: the Council approves conclusions on a renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood

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Press release:  Council of the EU

The Council approved conclusions affirming the EU’s determination to renew and strengthen its strategic partnership with its Southern Neighbourhood. The objective is to address common challenges, take advantage of shared opportunities and unlock the region’s economic potential for the benefit of its people.

Spurring sustainable long-term socio-economic recovery and job creation in the Southern Neighbourhood is a key shared priority and the innovative cornerstone of the new Agenda for the Mediterranean. Working together, the EU and its Southern Neighbourhood partners can turn climate and environmental challenges, and digital transformation, into major opportunities for sustainable development, contributing to a just and inclusive green transition. The EU will use all its available instruments, including the NDICI-Global Europe and the European Fund for Sustainable Development plus (EFSD+), and engage with financial institutions to achieve this objective, paying particular attention to the human dimension and opportunities for young people.

Good governance, the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic institutions and the rule of law are also considered to be essential for long-term stability, security and sustainable development in the region. The EU will step up its engagement on these issues, and renew its efforts on conflict prevention and resolution, as well as on cooperation on security, migration and the preparedness and response capacities of healthcare systems.

The EU intends to strengthen the political dialogue across the Mediterranean by setting up annual meetings of EU member states’ and Southern Neighbourhood partners’ foreign ministers to review progress in the implementation of the new Agenda for the Mediterranean.

Read more on the EU Councils press release webpage

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Report: The future of Mediterranean tourism in a (post) covid world

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Mediterranean tourism is now at a crossroad. Severely impacted by travel restrictions due to the COVID19, its future is now decided and faces a fundamental question: back to Mass Tourism or leapfrog towards Sustainability?

Download the report that has been prepared by the Eco-Union. This can also be found on a dedicated page of Eco-Union’s website.

TFNEWS – Italian press coverage ‘La cooperazione nel cuore del Mediterraneo e lo sviluppo della logistica portuale’

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La cooperazione nel cuore del Mediterraneo e lo sviluppo della logistica portuale