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Mohamed Lemine in front of banner of aquaculture conference in Mauritania february 2023

Hub National de la Mauritanie aux 10eme Groupe de Travail Scientifique de l’IMROP, tenu à Nouadhibou-Mauritanie du 20 au 24 février 2023

Sur invitation de l’Institut Mauritanien des Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches (IMROP), Dr Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid, Hub National de la Mauritanie, a pris part aux travaux du 10eme Groupe de Travail Scientifique de l’IMROP, tenu à Nouadhibou-Mauritanie du 20 au 24 février 2023.

En effet, depuis 1985, l’Institut Mauritanien des Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches (IMROP) a l’habitude d’organiser, tous les 4 ans, un groupe de travail pluridisciplinaire sur l’aménagement des ressources halieutiques auquel participent des experts scientifiques nationaux et internationaux, l’Administration, la Profession et la société civile pour valider et vulgariser les résultats de ses programmes et activités de recherche. Le GT de l’IMROP est le principal évènement scientifique du secteur des pêches en Mauritanie.

La 10eme version du GT de l’IMROP a connu une large participation de tous les acteurs et scientifiques concernés par le secteur des pêches mauritanien (plus de 500 participants).

Au cours de cet évènement Dr. Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid a fait une communication en plénière présentant l’initiative WestMED, son mécanisme d’assistance technique, les principales réalisations du Hub National et les priorités de la coprésidence mauritanienne de l’initiative pour la promotion de l’économie bleue. Cette présentation a suscité des réactions très positives de la part de tous les participants.

Dr. Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid a également participe activement à l’animation des travaux de la commission socio-économie et aménagement des ressources.

Mohamed Lemine in group picture during conference

Hub National de la Mauritanie aux travaux de la 1ere conférence scientifique sur la sécurité alimentaire dans le monde arabe, tenue à Constantine-Algérie les 28 et 29 mai 2023

Sur Invitation du Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique algérien, Dr. Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid, Hub National de la Mauritanie, a pris part aux travaux de la 1ere conférence scientifique sur la sécurité alimentaire dans le monde arabe, tenue à Constantine-Algérie les 28 et 29 mai 2023.

Cet événement, organisé sous le haut patronage du Président de la République Algérienne Populaire et Démocratique, Son Excellence Monsieur AbdelMajid Tebboun, Président en Exercice de la Ligue Arabe, a rassemblé plus de 60 experts scientifiques de très haut niveau de 12 pays arabes. Au cours de deux jours de débats riches les experts arabes ont pu identifier 18 projets couvrant tous les secteurs, à même de contribuer à la sécurité alimentaire dans les pays arabes, qui seront soumis pour approbation au sommet économique arabe, programmé à Nouakchott-Mauritanie les 6 et 7 Novembre 2023. Parmi ces projets, trois concernent la pêche et l’aquaculture, à savoir :

Projet 1 : Pisciculture intégrée et durable pour le développement des zones rurales et arides dans les pays arabes ;

Projet 2 : Développement durable de la pêche artisanale professionnelle dans les pays arabes ;

Projet 3 : Développement des écloseries maritimes pour la production des alevins de qualité au profit des pays arabes.

L’événement était également l’occasion de rencontrer le hub national de l’Algérie et de promouvoir l’initiative WestMED et son mécanisme d’assistance technique. Les efforts de deux hubs nationaux ont permis d’inclure dans les recommandations de la conférence la promotion des clusters maritimes dans les pays arabes.

En marge de cet événement Dr. Mohamed Lemine Abdel Hamid a reçu une honoration de la part des organisateurs et a accordé deux interviews aux chaines de télévisions et de Radio algériennes.

Memorandum of Understanding signed between World Ocean Council and the UfM/WestMED to boost private sector engagement in the Mediterranean Blue Economy

On March 28,2023, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the World Ocean Council (WOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the UfM Headquarters in Barcelona. This, within  the framework of the 2021 UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy and Roadmap for its implementation, and the WestMED Initiative, supported by the UfM and by the European Commission.

The MoU details key avenues of collaboration to promote cooperation, strong engagement, stewardship, and corporate responsibility from the business and investment communities in the maritime  sectors at Mediterranean level.

Cooperation will mainly focus on blue business development and entrepreneurship (incl. blue skills, careers, jobs and employability) and blue investments i..e the blue finance process in the Mediterranean. This via joint promotion and possible co-organisation of events, helping connect political to business apirations, exchanging expertise etc.

The WestMED Assistance Mechanism and the WOC are currenly exploring practical plans for joint development and cooperation in 2023.

Announcement poster stakeholder conference with photo of La Valetta in Malta

Join us on 22 June in Malta for the 2023 edition of the WestMED Initiative stakeholder Conference

After the successful 2021 WestMED Stakeholder Conference in Rome and the 2022 Hackathons on project development in Malta, we invite you to the 2023 edition of the WestMED Stakeholder Conference.

The Conference will be held on Thursday, 22 June 2023 in Malta. The event is open to all stakeholders that are contributing to improve the sustainable blue economy in the region.

So, whether you are a business owner, an entrepreneur, a scientist, an investor, a lecturer, a local or regional authority or a policy maker, this will be a day for you.  Learn the latest developments, meet new inspirational people, and consult the (national) blue economy experts from the WestMED Initiative in-person.

This year’s focus will be on the four main thematic areas that the WestMED Initiative actively supports:  Sustainable Aquaculture, Green Shipping and Ports, Maritime Clusters and Marine Spatial Planning.

We will share with you the results achieved so far and discuss the challenges that lie ahead.

The format will be interactive. Based on your level of expertise, you can both contribute to the discussion or ask fellow experts to help you in your activities.

Next to this, we plan to give you the latest updates and insights into the most relevant funding opportunities for your project ideas.

As a bonus, we are looking at the possibility of including a unique on-site visit, to learn from success stories on blue economy development in Malta.

The Stakeholder Conference will be followed by an (invitation only) official Ministerial meeting on June 23. On this occasion, Ministers from the 10 member countries will sign a new Ministerial Declaration with a commitment to reconfirm and streamline priorities for boosting the blue economy in the Mediterranean region.

 

For more information and registration  Visit the conference 2023 page

EMD in my country poster

Boost your maritime event with EMD in my country 2023

Last year, over 600 EMD In My Country events took place all over Europe and beyond!

It is time to break a new record to celebrate our blue planet this year!

Any blue event between 1 April and 31st October 2023 can apply.

There is no limitation: from beach clean-ups to educational tours or seafood fairs, all events promoting sustainable ocean and blue economy are welcome.

As a token of our gratitude for your action, you will receive promotional material for the participants in your event, which will be featured on our website. Make sure you indicate the number of participants in your application to receive enough goodies.

Now it’s up to you! Fill in the application form before 15 March 2023 and bring European Maritime Day 2023 to your country!

Visit the maritime day event website here

Submit your application here

Finger pressing search bar

New domain name for WestMED website and emails

The WestMED Initiative has received a new domain name for all its communications: westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu.

It means that both the website, as well as the email addresses have changed. The website can now be accessed through: https://westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

All emails will receive the @westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu extension. So the new email for Algeria for instance is now: algeria@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

Below you will find an overview of all new email addresses

The new  domain name  is the official domain for the  European Commission. It meant that the website had to undergo a major transformation in order to comply with the EC standards which relate to elements such as accessibility, security and privacy. At the same time, also some pages have been redesigned to be more user friendly.

At the backend, the website servers have also been updated to comply with strict security standards as required by the EC.

Here is a list of all new email addresses:

National Hub Algeria algeria@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub France france@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Italy italy@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Malta malta@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Mauritania mautitania@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Morocco morocco@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Portugal portugal@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Spain spain@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
National Hub Tunisia tunisia@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
Communications communications@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

 

Emails sent to the old email address will be forwarded for a period of 6 months until June 30, 2023.

Lighthouse Chania after sunset

A landmark document: Roadmap for the implementation of the 2021 UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE) in the Mediterranean

Source: based on article UfM stakeholder platform

Following the adoption by the 43 member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in February 2021 of the 2nd UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE), the UfM countries, Co-Presidency, and Secretariat, agreed to create a Roadmap for the implementation of the 2021 Ministerial.

This, with a view to produce an in-depth overview and analysis of the joint needs, gaps and opportunities for future support, funding, and implementation for each of the 10 priorities set by the Declaration.

This landmark document includes a sketching out of ongoing initiatives, programmes, and projects, while linking to and formulating promising pathways, processes, and actions to be launched, scaled-up, and promoted from the short to the longer term. The Roadmap also foresees an easy to implement monitoring system; essential to assess progress towards the implementation of the Ministerial at regional level.

The WestMED initiative as a succesful example
In the 2nd Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy, the ministers of the UfM countries recognised that the WestMED Initiative is a successful example of cooperation, focused on clear goals, priorities, and measurable targets and as a catalyst for the development of SBE projects in the region.

The roadmap identifies key elements of good practice that can be replicated at regional level by some other frameworks or initiatives, especially in the topics of governance (i.e. how the actual WestMED Initiative and the macro regional strategy EUSAIR work in terms of planning and decision making) and in the key aspects on project development support through the work of dedicated Technical Groups (for instance, and in the case of the WestMED Initiative: Green shipping, Sustainable Aquaculture(AquaWEST) and the WestMED Maritime Clusters Alliance.

For more information and download of the Ministerial Declaration and the Roadmap documents, visit the Med blue economy platform

Conference room table with micrrophones

The WestMED Iniatiative welcomes the Mauritanian/ Maltese Co-Presidency in 2023

In 2023, Mauritania will co-chair the WestMED Steering Committee along with Malta in accordance with the principle of rotation among the participating WestMED countries (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania).

The Mauritanian Co-Presidency will keep supporting the six priorities agreed by the countries in 2018 on the common roadmap for the development of a sustainable blue economy:

  • maritime safety and fight against marine pollution,
  • maritime cluster development,
  • skills development and circulation,
  • sustainable consumption and production,
  • biodiversity and marine habitat conservation and restoration
  • Development of coastal communities  and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

At national level, Mauritania has set ambitious targets on blue economy, which includes: the promotion of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, the development of a maritime cluster that brings together all the actors of the sea, development of maritime transport and development of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). These topics are already included in the priorities of the new strategy for the sector in Mauritania and are at the heart of the missions of two new agencies created within the department, namely the Agency for Maritime Affairs and the Agency for Inland Fisheries and Fish Farming.

In addition, the Mauritanian National Hub along with Tunisia play an important coordination role in the WestMED technical group on Maritime Clusters Alliance, ensuring and facilitating the cooperation within South-South and also North-South through actions, partnerships and projects.

Announcement poster Salo Halieutis 2023 for WestMED presence

Meet the WestMED Assistance Mechanism at the Salon Halieutis 2023 in Agadir

The salon Halieutis is the international meeting place for the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

The WestMED Assistance Mechanism will be present at the stand of the European Union where you can meet the WestMED Hub representatives from Morocco and Mauritania.

It will offer a unique opportunity to learn about this Initiative that is funded by the European Commission and aims to strengthen a sustainable blue economy in the Western Mediterranean.

Inquire about matchmaking and funding opportunities for sustainable maritime related projects or talk about the latest policy developments that might affect you.

 

Join our Workshop:
“L’initiative WestMED  : Opportunités pour renforcer l’économie bleue durable en Méditerranée occidentale”

On Thursday 2 February, the WestMED Initiative will organize a workshop to give you an overview of the WestMED activities and how this could benefit you.

Agenda

16:00 – 16:20 WestMED Initiative – Sustainable Blue Economy in the western Mediterranean

16:20 – 16:30 Community of Practice for Maritime Spatial Planning for the MED

16:30 – 16:40 EMFAF calls for flagships projects (DG MARE)

16:40 – 17:00 Pitch session Blue Economy projects funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and other EU funding calls

  1. REBOOT MED – Recovering, Experiencing and Boosting eco-tourism in the WestMed
  2. AFRIMED: Algal Forest Restoration In the MEDiterranean Sea
  3. E-FishMed project: virtual academy on fisheries inspection and control

17:00 – 17:30 Networking session and bilateral meetings

 

There is no need to make a reservation, but be early as seats are limited.

Location: Salon Halieutis 2023, Agadir |  Pole International | Union Européenne | Stand B51 B54

For more information contact: Lahbib Latrach (WestMED Hub Morocco) or Mohamed Lemine abdel Hamid

For more information on the salon visit the event website

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MSP community of practic kick-off meeting with participants seated around a rectangular table

The Community of Practice on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) for the Mediterranean has been launched!

Brussels, January 26, 2022. During the Hackathon organised by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism in Malta on June 30th 2022 and a couple of meetings under MSPMED project, the relevant stakeholders discussed about the creation of an open Community of Practice for exchange on MSP in the framework of the WestMED Initiative and supported by CINEA and DG MARE.

In the Mediterranean, there are many policy drivers for the implementation of Maritime/Marine Spatial Planning at regional, sub-regional and national levels. These include the MSP Directive implementation for the European Union Member States, the Ministerial declaration on Blue Economy of the Union for the Mediterranean and the Conceptual Framework for MSP developed by UNEP/MAP promoting a common approach to MSP as a key process for planning and managing the marine space in line with the provisions of the ICZM Protocol. Still, the MSPglobal pilot project in the Western Mediterranean Sea promoted by UNESCO-IOC and the European Commission allowed the creation of a network of experts and the publication of specific technical reports and recommendations.

Given the existing policy framework and the broader political will to commonly work on MSP, there is a shared interest to set an MSP Community of Practice in the Mediterranean, in the framework of the WestMED Initiative. The MED-MSP-CoP will be initially focused on the Western Mediterranean, being however open to experts and observers from the whole Mediterranean..

The main objective of the MED-MSP-CoP is to establish a permanent communication and dialogue across borders between experts on MSP (i.e. planners, technical experts, researchers), and to exchange knowledge and relevant experiences in the region, so as to reach a shared perspective on topics of common interest on MSP and enhance the cooperation between the north and the south of the Mediterranean.

On January 26, 2023, CINEA and DG MARE officially launched the Community of Practice during the kick-off meeting in Brussels where the experts discussed the structure and the action plan for the next year.

Thanos Smanis, WestMED expert and member of the MSP Assistance Mechanism, highlights “the instant willingness by MSP experts to mobilise and establish a Community of Practice on MSP for the MED, for joint dialogue and cooperation, demonstrates the shared perception that this will significantly support the creation of a regional framework and vision whereby all stakeholders will be needed.”

Next to the the Community of Practice on MSP, three technical-/ work groups have been formed under the WestMED Initiative;  Sustainable Transport-Green Shipping, the AquaWEST technical group on aquaculture and the Maritime Clusters Alliance.

More information on the Community of Practice on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) for the Mediterranean : https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/two-days-key-developments-maritime-spatial-planning-2023-01-25_en