Summary
The Mediterranean is a vibrant mosaic of landscapes and culture influenced by the sea. Its fishing sites are equally diverse. These are unique and complex, and need to be governed by regulations that are tailored to each site’s particular features. The best and most effective way to do this is to involve the people that understand the local situation better than anyone else – the fishers. The project aims to support a co-management approach that values the roles and contributions of fishers and local authorities. This is the most effective way to restore fish stocks, protect marine biodiversity and secure better livelihoods for Mediterranean fishers and their families. By empowering fishing communities – through better access to decision-making processes, stronger legal representation, and increased recognition within society – we want to end years of mismanagement that created a culture of non-compliance and unsustainability - and ultimately led to overfishing.

Objectives
The objectives of the project are: collaborate with local communities and build long-term trust; understand their needs and concerns, and find ways we can support lasting solutions; support the development of new policies to promote and sustain the participatory management approach, such as the Regional Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries; develop viable economic alternatives and market opportunities to improve fishers’ livelihoods; support fishers to identify and adopt more sustainable practices, such as creating no-take zones, modifying fishing methods/gears/technologies, reducing fishing effort; improve society’s understanding of the importance of small-scale fishers (including fisherwomen), their products and their fisheries.

Project Partners
• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - ITALY