DeFishGear launches a network for a litter free Adriatic and Ionian coast and sea

Jul 22, 2016 | News

On the occasion of its final event on further advancing the implementation of the Regional Plan for the Management of Marine Litter in the Mediterranean, the IPA Adriatic funded DeFishGear project launched a network for a litter free Adriatic and Ionian coast and sea. The two-day meeting entitled ‘Joint commitment for a marine litter-free Mediterranean Sea’ was successfully organized jointly by UNEP/MAP’s MEDPOL Programme and the DeFishGear project in Tirana, from 19 to 20 July 2016, bringing together some 85 participants from 20 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area.

Motivated by the successful cooperation accomplished within the project – the first sub-regional project dealing with the marine litter issue in the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion, establishing and piloting comprehensive, coordinated and harmonized marine litter monitoring throughout the region as well as marine litter related measures – the DeFishGear partners decided to further commit themselves to the fulfillment of a shared vision and form a Network for a Litter Free Adriatic and Ionian Coast and Sea.

This network ensures that the contacts and working relationships developed during the project will be maintained and further developed through follow up, collective and collaborative projects and initiatives. Furthermore, it is expected to substantially contribute to efficiently and effectively achieving lasting positive impacts and changes via continuity, coherence and cross-fertilization among and between projects and/or initiatives dealing consecutively or in parallel on the marine litter issue in the region.

The DeFishGear Network, facilitated by MIO-ECSDE, includes the following 16 institutions and organizations:

  • Agricultural University of Tirana, Laboratory of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Albania
  • Ca Foscari University of Venice, Italy
  • Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change, Lecce, Italy
  • Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Institute of Oceanography and Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters), Anavyssos, Greece
  • Hydro-Engineering Institute of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Institute for Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
  • Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, Kotor, Montenegro
  • Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Rome, Italy
  • Mediterranean Consortium, Rome, Italy
  • Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development, Athens, Greece
  • National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Public Institution RERA SD for Coordination and Development of Split Dalmatia County, Split, Croatia
  • Regional Agency for Environmental Protection in the Emilia-Romagna Region, Cesenatico, Italy
  • Regional Council of Lezha, Lezha, Albania
  • University of Nova Gorica, the Laboratory for Environmental Research, Nova Gorica, Slovenia

The Network invites all institutions, organizations and individuals who share the aforementioned convictions, vision and commitment to join and enhance the Network with their ideas, energy and determination.

For more info read the Declaration of Intent and contact Thomais Vlachogianni, MIO-ECSDE Programme Officer at vlachogianni(at)mio-ecsde.org