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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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Salem Miladi (WestMED National Hub Tunisia) talks about the Blue Economy on National Radio IFM

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On Saturday April 16, 2022 Salem Miladi from the WestMED National Hub in Tunisia was invited by Radio IFM; a popular national commercial radio station in Tunisia. In the program L’univers Marin,’ hosted by Wael Beji,  he was interviewed for 50 minutes  about the blue economy, the WestMED initiative and the situation in Tunisia with its main opportunities and challenges for blue growth.

There was a lot of response after the show – including high viewership of the recording on YouTube.  It was also referenced to in a follow-up meeting with  Secretary of State for the Sea, Asma S’hiri Laabidi who agreed to open the Tunisian WestMED National Event on June 2 by announcing the Tunisian government’s commitment to promote the blue economy and present the first elements of the Blue Economy Strategy

You can watch the full recording here  (in Arabic)

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EU and Mauritania announce the conclusion of negotiations for a new fisheries agreement

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Source: EC.Europa website  | 29 July 2021

The European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have concluded on Wednesday 28 July 2021 the negotiations for the renewal of the bilateral agreement on sustainable fisheries.

Fishing boats, Mauritania @ Patrick CHAZOT / Adobe Stock
This new agreement, which replaces the one in force since 2008, contributes to further strengthening the political partnership between the EU and Mauritania and confirms several decades of cooperation in the field of fisheries, a key sector for the development of Mauritania’s economy and one of the pillars of European blue growth.

Consistent with the European fisheries policy, the new agreement comes after a long negotiation, which took place in a phase of reform of Mauritania’s fisheries management and incorporates the priorities of the new national sectoral strategy recently adopted.

The Implementation Protocol accompanying the new agreement was concluded for a period of five years and aims at a gradual alignment of the fishing opportunities offered to Union vessels operating in Mauritanian waters with their actual activity, taking into account the best scientific advice in the context of increased monitoring of the state of the fisheries resources concerned. For this reason, the protocol includes, inter alia, a review clause before the third year of application in order to allow the possible adjustment of the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution paid by the Union in the light of the actual use made of these possibilities by Union vessels.

The new protocol contributes to responsible fishing and sustainable management of fisheries resources under improved technical and operational conditions and transparency. It aims in particular to minimise the impact of fishing on marine ecosystems and respects the activities of Mauritanian coastal and artisanal fleets.

The protocol provides for access by the European fleet to Mauritanian waters for the fishing of crustaceans, demersal fish, tuna and small pelagics, for a total of approximately 290.000 tonnes per year. For the first years of application of the protocol, in addition to the catches paid by European fishermen, the EU will devote EUR 57,5 million per year to this partnership. The European Union will pay Another EUR 16,5 million, spread over the duration of the protocol, as sectoral support to accompany the implementation of the Mauritanian national strategy by measures approved jointly.

 

Read the full news announcement on the ec.europa website

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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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Effective Project Proposal Development for EU Funding | 29 june 2021 | Online

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This pilot training session is aimed at Blue Economy stakeholders in the Southern Mediterranean who are interested in acquiring basic knowledge and skills for EU project proposal development.

The training will include sessions on the logical framework approach, do’s and don’ts in the preparation of these type of projects, consortium building, as well as concrete examples of on-going blue economy related projects counting with a presence of Southern Mediterranean partners.

This event has passed.  If interested and you would like more information – please contact us

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WestMED Asistance Mechanism highlights importance of transferability of Sustainable Tourism Initiatives to Southern Shore Countries

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The Assistance Mechanism participated in an event on May 6, 2021 organised by the Sustainable Tourism Community where the importance of replicability and transferability of EU funded projects and was highlighted – including the importance of strengthening ties and opportunities with Southern partners. It was also noted that the Assistance Mechanism is actively engaged in supporting stakeholders to extend the benefits that are coming out of a number of projects on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.

The MED Sustainable Tourism Community counts on a group of 17 Associated partners (networks, actors participating in Mediterranean initiatives, tourism stakeholders, academia) with the role of ensuring links with other initiatives and to enlarge the impacts and the scope of the dissemination, transferring and capitalisation activities. The main questions discussed the event are:

  1. The identification of synergies with existing initiatives of participating  organizations
  2. Identification of collaboration among organization and the MED Community
  3. Involvement in the the transferring & capitalization of activities

Read the news article on the Interreg Med Sustainable tourism

 

For more information, please contact:
– Stephanie Vella: malta@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu
– Mohamed Lemine:   mauritania@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

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Mauritanie-Algérie : ouverture d’une ligne maritime stratégique pour l’export

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Source: Financial Afrik

La Mauritanie et l’Algérie ont procédé lundi 12 avril au port d’Alger, à l’ouverture officielle d’une nouvelle ligne maritime entre Alger et Nouakchott. Ce premier axe maritime  est destiné essentiellement à faciliter  l’export des produits algériens vers la Mauritanie, mais également en Afrique.

D’après la fiche technique, ce trajet est géré par la société « Anisfer Line » spécialisée dans le transport maritime. L’entreprise organise tous les 20 jours un nouveau voyage sur cette ligne pour exporter divers produits algériens vers la Mauritanie ainsi que vers les autres pays africains voisins. Cette nouvelle route, indique-t-on, réduira le délai d’exportation vers la Mauritanie à cinq  jours.

S’exprimant à cette occasion, le directeur général de la société, Mustapha Hamadou, a  mentionné que l’ouverture de cette ligne maritime constitue la première ligne directe vers l’Afrique. Elle permettra, souligne le responsable, à l’Algérie d’exporter ses différents produits vers le continent africain dans un délai record.

En lire plus
visitez la page Web Financial Afrik

 

 

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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.