Join the final event of the Interreg MED Programme’s MPA NETWORKS project and MPAEngage.

Join the final event of the Interreg MED Programme’s MPA NETWORKS project and MPAEngage.

From 14 to 17 June 2022 in Mallorca and Barcelona, MedPAN and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as lead partners, Marilles Foundation, and the other partners in the two projects will hold a joint final event of the Interreg MED Programme’s MPA NETWORKS project and MPAEngage.

This final event will discuss the results and key recommendations of these two European projects targeting key issues for marine protected areas (MPAs): management efficiency, small-scale fisheries management, conservation of mobile species, sustainable financing, and adaptation to climate change. Participants will contribute to scaling up the solutions identified in the projects for the benefit of the entire Mediterranean MPA community.

The technical workshop on 14–15 June in Palma will provide a valuable opportunity to learn more about the projects' results and to discuss the key recommendations for decision-makers in the Mediterranean region to be presented at the policy meeting on 16 June in Barcelona. The event will conclude on the morning of 17 June with an on-site exchange: From local MPA results into a Mediterranean network of resilient MPAs: Lessons from the Cap de Creus Natural Park.

Registration

Part of this event is offered in a hybrid format, both face-to-face and online. If you would like to participate in the event online, we encourage you to do so here.

On-site participation is limited for logistical reasons. To attend the Palma and/or Barcelona meetings in person, we have some space available; please check availability by sending an email to tonifontg@gmail.com.

Programme

The debates will be organised around four thematic round tables. The objectives are to present and exchange the results and lessons learned from the two projects, share solutions, and identify priorities and ways forward in terms of capitalisation, replication, and funding. Check the three-day programme.

14 June 2022

Morning: Field visit – Palma

Afternoon: Technical sessions

ROUNDTABLE 1: Mobile species and Climate change, when challenges go beyond MPAs.

• Setting the scene
• Pilot actions feedback
• Training inputs
• Networks insights
• Discussion on ways forward

ROUNDTABLE 2: Fisheries and recreational activities, when MPAs governance players steward a common blue capital.

• Setting the scene
• Pilot actions feedback
• Training inputs
• Networks insights
• Discussion on ways forward

15 June 2022

Morning: Technical sessions

ROUNDTABLE 3: Climate change, turning vulnerability into operational solutions.

• Setting the scene
• Pilot actions feedback
• Training inputs
• Networks insights
• Discussion on ways forward

ROUNDTABLE 4: Financing, investing in healthy marine ecosystems for a sustainable and resilient future.

• Setting the scene
• Pilot actions feedback
• Training inputs
• Networks insights
• Discussion on ways forward
• Closing of the technical event

Afternoon: Travel home or to Barcelona

POLITICAL EVENT

The debate will be organised around 2 thematic roundtables. The objective will be to present and exchange on the white paper prepared by the two MPA NETWORKS and MPA ENGAGE projects designing key operational recommendations for resilient Mediterranean networks and the possible political uptake.

16 June 2022

Morning: 9:30 - 14:00, Opening of the political event

ROUNDTABLE 1: Effectively managed and resilient MPAs.

• Policy recommendations
• Comments from decision-makers and other partners
• Conclusions on Policy uptake

ROUNDTABLE 2: Strengthening and sustaining cooperation and networks.

• Policy recommendations
• Comments from decision-makers and other partners
• Conclusions on Policy uptake
• Closing of the Political event

Afternoon: Travel to the MPA of Cap de Creus.

17 June 2022

All day: 9:00 – 16:00, Field visit to the MPA of Cap de Creus.

About the MPA NETWORKS project

The MPA NETWORKS intended to boost the dynamics of cooperation between MPA managers at all levels in the Mediterranean. The MPA NETWORKS project focused on providing sustainable solutions to challenges requiring an approach that goes beyond MPA boundaries. These challenges include the global question of management effectiveness, and more specifically the management of Small Scale Fisheries in MPAs, the conservation of mobile species and the development of sustainable financing mechanisms for MPAs. The project also helped to strengthen networks of MPA managers at national, sub-regional and Mediterranean levels and to ensure capacity-building and scaling-up of good solutions and policy recommendations.

About the MPA Engage project

MPA Engage, led by the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council, is funded by the Interreg MED programe with a budget of about 3 million euros. MPA Engage aimed primarily to support Mediterranean MPAs to adapt to and mitigate the ongoing climate change effects in the Mediterranean Sea. Through a participatory approach, MPA Engage monitored in a harmonized way the climate change impacts, elaborated vulnerability assessments and developed climate change adaptation action plans in 8 Marine Protected Areas located in 6 Mediterranean countries, namely Albania, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Spain.