WestMED Italy 2024 Roadshow on Innovation and Internationalisation for Sustainable Fisheries during the G7 in Siracusa, Sicily

On 27 September 2024,  thanks to the Regione Sicilia Fishery Department (represented by Director General, Alberto Pulizzi) and the Sicilian Fishery and Blue growth cluster COSVAP (represented President Nino Carlino), the WestMED National Hub organised a roadshow focused on Innovation and Internationalisation for a new Sustainable model for Fisheries.

This roadshow was programmed as a side event to the  G7 Ministerial meeting on Agriculture and Fisheries  that was held in Syracuse from 26 to 28 September 2024 with a great Exposition and many activities on agriculture and fishing throughout the city.

Prof Franco Andaloro, a world renown international expert on sustainable fisheries kicked off with an inspiring introduction. He mentioned the need for a complete new approach and model to Fisheries, focusing on the role of fishers, as protagonist and not as problem.  He also detailed the main challenges to be tackled, if we really want to promote Sustainable Fisheries model(s).

This was followed by multiple experts who shared their views and experiences: Giovanni Borsellino ( FLAG GAC Il Sole e l’Azzurro ) presented its traceability system for fishery. Leonardo Manzari then presented his experiences as part of the WestMED Assistance Mechanism with a focus on  Technological innovation and internationalisation as indispensable tools to propose solutions and apply technologies and systems at the service of a new sustainable model for artisanal fishing, deep sea fishing, and aquaculture.

Luca Mirabelli from AS Labruna presented its hybrid Power systems for small and large fishery vessels and Prof Concetta Messina explained the contribution of INTERREG NEXT Italie-Tunisie ARIBIOTECH to the extraction of bioelements from fish waste and the network of specialized labs developed between Sicily and Tunisia.

DuWo presented its smart fish packing boxes, equipped with RFID traceability chip and their box washing machines

For more information contact Leonardo Manzari (WestMED National Hub italy): italy@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu