Projects
Current projects
Baltic and North Sea (BANS) project
This project aims to support and coordinate SSF organisations in the Baltic and North Seas. The main goals include improving access to fishing grounds, reducing harmful fishing practices, and enhancing viability through marketing initiatives. The project empowers small-scale fishers by representing them in advisory and decision-making forums, allowing their voices to be heard and influencing positive change for healthier seas. The project seeks to demonstrate the value of responsible fishing practices as an alternative to overcapacity and destructive fishing. By strengthening the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and influencing ongoing policy discussions, the project emphasises rewarding low-impact fishing for its positive resource extraction and environmental impact reduction.
Donor: Velux Fonden
Total budget: 750,000 Euros
Geographical scope: European Level with focus on Baltic and Northern Sea
Vremenska Crta: 2022 – 2026
Partners: LIFE
“The support received from Velux Fonden has been crucial to strengthen our work in the Baltic and North Sea regions. It has allowed us to support small-scale fishers from the region in Brussels. Fisheries management takes place far away from coastal communities and this grant has enabled us to coordinate our members, whose shared local problems need to be resolved at regional, national and European level”
Christian Tsangarides, LIFE Baltic and North Sea Coordinator
Promoting Commercial Fishing of Round Goby in the Baltic Sea
Round Goby is an invasive species in the Baltic Sea, yet a market for such species can be created. The Round Goby project is led by a consortium of partners with the goal of developing a fishery for Round Goby in the Baltic. The main partners are scientific research institutes from across the region, together with local government agencies, fish processors and fishing organisations such as LIFE’s member organisation FSKPO. LIFE’s responsibilities mainly concern the assessment of existing fishing techniques to inform on the development of new innovative gear for commercial fishing for Round Goby and the development of recommendations of best practice pursuing a dialogue with transnational organisations like the Baltic Sea Advisory Council or BaltFish.
Donor: EU Funds – Interreg Baltic Sea Region
Total budget: 2.973.587€
Contribution to LIFE: 285.469€
Geographical scope: Baltic and North Sea
Vremenska Crta: 2024 – 2026
Partners: 15 partners including Municipality of Simrishanm (leader) and LIFE Member FSKPO
“We welcome the project, in particular, the possibility to get more added value from the fish. The project will increase the knowledge of fishing methods and selectivity, as well as, more detailed investigations of round goby’s influence in the ecosystem.”
Evalds Urtans, Latvia Fishermen’s Federation
Seaglow Project
This initiative is part of an EU Horizon project on the decarbonisation of the Baltic and North Sea small-scale fishing fleets. This project will evaluate the existing regulations affecting decarbonisation in the sector, and demonstrate clearly and unequivocally, that the utilisation of a combination of these appropriate technologies, will be a game-changer, allowing the cost-efficient reduction of fuel consumption, benefiting the fishing community and the environment, and accelerating the opportunities for positive change. The project will test three pilot projects for alternative propulsion systems (in Sweden, Denmark and Estonia), propose solutions for the European fishing fleet and engage in communication and advocacy work. LIFE will lead the communications work package and organise a series of workshops and a final conference to summarise the project findings.
Donor: EU Horizon Programme
Total budget: 4.883.898€
Contribution to LIFE: 293.093€
Geographical scope: Baltic and North Sea
Vremenska Crta: 2024-2028
Partners: 16 Partners including NDEU (Leader) and LIFE member FSKPO
¨We see the green transition as an integral and necessary part of the future of fisheries. And what better place to begin than with the small-scale, low-impact vessels, which are already the least energy-consuming and therefore the easiest to transition first. When you then add the environmental and socio-economic benefits of low-impact, small-scale fishing, such as minimal by-catch, almost no disturbance of the seafloor, and added value for local fishing communities, it becomes a clear roadmap for the future. Therefore, we’re very excited to be a part of the Seaglow project and to help set a more sustainable course with the collective experience of Danish small-scale, low-impact fishers.¨
David Lange, Director FSK-PO
Rethinking Fisheries
The project seeks to engage a multi stakeholder dialogue and inclusive process that Low Impact Fishers Europe together with Seas At Risk have started in 2023 to increase awareness and build a common vision of the fisheries of the future, including the need for a just transition to low impact and fair fisheries. The project will also promote recommendations and provide practical examples of alternative business models that contribute to this vision.
Donor: Patagonia
Contribution to LIFE : 13.631€
Geographical scope: Europe
Vremenska Crta: 2024
Partners: Seas at Risk
Marta Cavallé, Executive Secretary of LIFE
Fish X
The Fish-X project under the EU Horizon Programme, aims to drive digital innovation in the fishing industry, to foster sustainable exploitation of common natural resources; develop accessible technologies to empower small-scale fisheries and grow their credibility towards the customer. More concretely the Fish-X project, is developing a Fisheries Dataspace, a Traceability App, and an Insight Platform – based on smart orchestrated architecture and open interoperable technology via Gaia-X. LIFE will ensure SSF’s opinions and views are engaged in this process and especially in the Industry roadmap for Digitisation.
Donor: EU Horizon Programme
Total Budget: 4,545,488.63€
Contribution to LIFE: 19.375€
Geographical scope: Europe
Vremenska Crta: 2024-2025
Partners: TransMarTech, EUTECH, CLS, North.io, WWF EPO, WWF ANP, WWF MMI, WWF ADRIA, OURZ, SCIAENA and LIFE Member IIMRO
“The Fish X project is examining the potential and practicalities of collecting usable data for small scale fisheries in a number of case studies across Europe. The use of inshore VMS and a dedicated data platform will enable fishers to gather information on their activities and ensure that they are not displaced by blue economy activities such as offshore renewable energy installations or environmental designations such as marine protected areas.”
Seamus Bonner, Secretary, Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation Producer Organisation. Ireland
Past projects
Stewards of the Balearic Sea
The Stewards of the Sea project, with the support of the Marilles Foundation, focused on supporting the small-scale fishing fleet in the Balearic Islands in Spain. Over the course of 3 years, strategies included enhancing the management of fish stocks, adopting low-impact fishing gear, developing co-management schemes and fostering increased demand for local sustainable products through innovative certification and labelling initiatives.
Project outputs and outcomes:
– Creation of a formal co-management committees in Pitiusas islands (Ibiza and Formentera, Spain)
– Progress in the development of a fisheries co-management plan in the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca and in a potential co-management scheme for lobster in the Balearic islands
– Support in the development of the FLAG in Mallorca
– Report on the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of fishers in Pitiusas islands and Menorca
– Socio Economic Report on SSF in the Pitiuses Islands
– A case study on the marketing scheme under which local catches are sold in Ibiza, called Peix Nostrum. Strengthening this direct marketing scheme and development of a Foodnected Community of Practice in the island..
– A report on the issue of Generational Renewal in the Balearic Islands.
Donor: Marilles Foundation
Budget: 150.000€
Geographical scope: Balearic Islands, Spain
Vremenska Crta: 2020 – 2023
Partners: LIFE
More information: https://marilles.org/en/project/pesca-profesional
“Artisan Coastal fishing provides a real opportunity for the new generations of men and women. Although it plays a modest part in economic growth, it has a huge impact on sociocultural and environmental factors that are necessary for a sustainable development of the Mediterranean coast, based on a green and blue economy. The fishers are and will be the custodians of the Balearic Sea.”
Anna Masdeu, Project coordinator for LIFE
Co-managed MPA / No-take Zones Project: scaling up co-managed and financially sustainable NTZ and MPA
The project’s aim was to develop co-managed and financially sustainable Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and No-Take Zones across the Mediterranean Sea. The objectives included rebuilding Mediterranean fish biomass and protecting key habitats through co-managed No-Take Zones and effective MPAs, replication and scaling-up, financial sustainability, and adequate regulatory frameworks. The project also seeked to make a difference in the field by creating new no-take zones and improving the management of MPAs, build legacy and scale-up by enhancing capacity, exchanging lessons learned, and promoting networking among other MPA managers and fishers around the Mediterranean. Additionally, the project aimed to increase the financial sustainability of local conservation initiatives and empower the future by working with decision-makers to replicate and sustain local solutions, developing an ambitious and effective policy plan to protect Mediterranean marine biodiversity within the Barcelona Convention.
LIFE’s work was to develop co-managed MPAs in 5 Mediterranean pilot sites and to provide the necessary advocacy work both at national, regional and European level for getting this approved.
Key results achieved by LIFE’s work:
– Creation of 3 formal co-management committees in Cap de Creus (Catalonia, Spain), Pitiusas islands (Balearic Islands, Spain) and in North East MPA in the Maltese islands. The Maltese Government took the case of NE MPA as a successful pilot case and expects to upscale it at a national level in the next few years.
– In Cyprus there is an agreement with all relevant stakeholders to establish an informal co-management committee, which we expect to see the light soon.
– In Cabo de Gata (Spain) 1 informal working group of multi-stakeholders has discussed and agreed on a management plan proposal to make the Cabo de Gata’s Marine Reserve more effective and is in discussions with National competent Authorities to approve it.
– Legal publication of 2 management plans for SSF in the Pitiusas islands and another one in Cap de Creus Natural Park (Spain)
– Creation of 1 No-Take Zone in Cyprus (endorsed by Law)
– Publication and submission to relevant authorities of 2 scientific reports recommending the declaration of NTZ/MPAs in the future in Cyprus and Italy
– A map and lessons learned from the co-management schemes in the Mediterranean Sea have been collected in a dedicated report and published (see the report here), making them available to key stakeholders who want to learn further on the topic. The report highlighted the need to scale-up co-management, whilst the establishment of a focus group gathering the various stakeholders and practitioners from both the MPA and the fisheries worlds could be a game changer.
– LIFE has engaged in the Own Initiative Report from MEP Clara Aguilera on Co-management, which should be adopted as a Resolution by the Plenary of the European Parliament later in 2023
– LIFE is engaged with the FAO on the framework of the publication of the “FAO Guidebook for evaluating fisheries co-management effectiveness” at a global level.
Donor: Mava Foundation
Total Budget: 6,272,231€
Contribution to LIFE: 274.622 €
Geographical scope: 26 sites in the Mediterranean, of which LIFE worked in 5 of them (Cabo de Gata Marine Protected Area and Pitiusas Islands in Spain, Pantelleria island in Italy, I Bahar tal Grigal MPA in Malta, Chrysohou Bay- Kakoskali MPA in Cyprus)
Vremenska Crta: 2020 – 2022
Partners: WWF, AGIR, BLUE SEEDS, HCMR, MedPAN, SPA/RAC More information on the together for the med website.
Read more about the project success stories, such as in the MPA of Gyaros in Greece.
This project was undertaken under the umbrella project “Together for the Med”. On the road to participative governance of Marine Resources. Profile of the Small-scale Fisheries of Cyprus, with a focus on Chrisohou Bay
Foodnected Project: towards a sustainable and fair food system in the Mediterranean
Foodnected is driven by the vision of bringing producers and consumers together through a Community of Practice grounded in shared values. By shortening the distance between consumers and producers and developing an ethical code of environmental and social values for the way food is produced and consumed, the project Foodnected aims to address shortcomings in the prevailing food system and is an attempt to reverse the unfair situation faced by small-scale food producers. Foodnected intended to facilitate the emergence of short-chain food systems that work for nature and people – both consumers and the small-scale producers who depend on them for their livelihood. Although the project was taking place in a multitude of sites in the Mediterranean, LIFE’s work on the project was centred in Ibiza in the Balearic Islands, the Costa Brava in Spain, and the Gulf of Catania in Italy.
This project was undertaken under the umbrella project “Together for the Med”. Read the Together for the med impact report.
Key outcomes for LIFE’s part of the project included:
– A common vision of sustainable and fair food systems was agreed with 10 core values as main drivers of such vision. – 2 direct marketing schemes for small-scale fishers were either launched (Empesca’t) or strengthened (Peix Nostrum) – 3 local communities of practice were developed (one in each site) to support the transformation of food systems at a local level in the 3 sites. The actors of the 3 communities of practice engaged to develop a roadmap towards sustainable and fair food systems – 1 new organisation of small-scale fishers created in the Gulf of Catania – 1 training on “ikejime” delivered amongst SSF in l’Estartit, and the fishers are now in the process of being certified with this technique that delivers improved animal welfare and better-quality products. A monitoring questionnaire for fish producers was developed and tested in all three sites. This tool will serve as a self-evaluation and baseline information of small-scale fishers towards the achievement of the 10 core values of Foodnected, promote peer review and best communicate their contributions to these values more systematically. – Ecological footprint of fish products from small-scale fisheries was assessed in the three sites, building a baseline for future improvement.
Donor: Mava Foundation
Budget: 517.412€
Contribution to LIFE: 169.544 €
Geographical scope: Mediterranean Sea with multitude of pilot sites in Spain, Italy, Montenegro and Turkey
Vremenska Crta: 2021 – 2022
Partners: Slowfood, Global Footprint Network, GOB Menorca, Alliance for Mediterranean Nature and Culture, Yolda, MSJA and ICS-ZIP
More information: https://foodnected.org/
Other links:
Foodnected Animation
Brochure
Foodnected website
A Seas of Change video
“After striving for years to stress the importance of education and raise consumers’ awareness of the value of their food and their connection with the people who produce it, we are excited to collaborate with sustainable fishing and farming organisations to progress to a world where all the actors can come together through common initiatives to improve each other’s lives through an essential aspect of what it means to be human: the food we choose to consume to not only feed our bodies, but also nurture our spirits and communities,” said
Paula Barbeito, Foodnected Coordinator at Slow Food.
Mitigating Dolphin Depredation
The mitigation dolphin depredation project seeked to strengthen cetacean conservation and sustainable fisheries by reducing depredation and expanding the regional network of expertise on the subject. LIFE partnered the initiative, which built on LIFE’s previous assessments and work in the past on the subject and, this time, tested different potential technical mitigation measures. The objectives of the project included assessing depredation caused by cetaceans in purse seine fisheries in Morocco and Tunisia, as well as in small-scale fisheries in Andalucía (Spain), Sicily (Italy), and Malta. The project aimed to provide robust data on depredations through onboard observations, demonstrated the viability of technical mitigation measures capable of reducing the impact of depredations on cetaceans, and engaged participating countries in adopting good practices to effectively address the issue of depredations.
This project was undertaken under the umbrella project “Together for the Med”. Read the Together for the med impact report.
Key outcomes for LIFE’s part of the project included: – A common vision of sustainable and fair food systems was agreed with 10 core values as main drivers of such vision. – 2 direct marketing schemes for small-scale fishers were either launched (Empesca’t) or strengthened (Peix Nostrum) – 3 local communities of practice were developed (one in each site) to support the transformation of food systems at a local level in the 3 sites. The actors of the – 3 communities of practice engaged to develop a roadmap towards sustainable and fair food systems – 1 new organisation of small-scale fishers created in the Gulf of Catania – 1 training on “ikejime” delivered amongst SSF in l’Estartit, and the fishers are now in the process of being certified with this technique that delivers improved animal welfare and better-quality products. A monitoring questionnaire for fish producers was developed and tested in all three sites. This tool will serve as a self-evaluation and baseline information of small-scale fishers towards the achievement of the 10 core values of Foodnected, promote peer review and best communicate their contributions to these values more systematically.
– Ecological footprint of fish products from small-scale fisheries was assessed in the three sites, building a baseline for future improvement.
Donor: Mava Foundation
Budget: 318.186 € with no direct funding to LIFE
Geographical scope: Mediterranean Sea (Spain, Malta, Sicily, Morocco and Tunisia)
Vremenska Crta: 2020 – 2022
Partners: Accobams, INAT, INRH, INSTM, MARE CAMP, MCAST, AHE, SPA/RAC
More information on the Together for the Med website.
Mainstreaming small-scale low impact fisheries in the Mediterranean: giving voice to the small-scale fisheries sector.
At LIFE, we believe sustainable fishing should be put at the top of the institutional agenda as all efforts to protect the Mediterranean sea will be in vain without the active involvement of SSF, the real stewards of the sea. With this objective in mind, the project “Mainstreaming Small Scale Low Impact Fisheries in the Mediterranean” (2018-2021), supported by the MAVA Foundation, empowered fishers and gave them a dedicated voice, focusing on the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Sicily. The project included a range of actions such as enhancing comprehension of the small-scale fisheries sector, recognising and utilising local fishers’ knowledge regarding species, habitats, and climate change. Advocating co-management governance encompassing Marine Protected Areas and zones designated for small-scale fishing. Strengthening fishers and their organisations to participate in policy-making and decision-making platforms like the Mediterranean Advisory Council (MedAC), MedFish4Ever project, and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). Identifying and endorsing best practices through awareness initiatives like exchanges, workshops, focused discussion groups, and communications. Boosting LIFE’s role as a credible representative of small-scale fishers’ interests by expanding membership, and reinforcing the AKTEA network, which focuses on women in fisheries, through targeted actions and activities.
Resulting documents:
– Co-management for SSF: Principles, practices and challenges.
– Interactions between cetaceans and SSF in the Mediterranean Sea: Conclusive Report
–MEDTEK: the Mediterranean Ecological Knowledge on small-scale fisheries: preliminary findings in Cabo de Gata (Spain), Malta and Pantelleria island (Italy) sites.
– Social and Economic Aspects of Mediterranean SSF: a snapshot of three fishing communities
– The Pros and cons of creating Producer Organisations for Mediterranean Small-scale Fishers
Donor: Mava Foundation
Budget: 650.000 €
Geographical scope: Mediterranean Sea (with the Alboran Sea and the Strait of Sicily as priority areas)
Vremenska Crta: 2018 – 2021
Partners: LIFE
“We met LIFE platform in 2016 and appreciated how our partnership started. We came from the nature conservation sector and LIFE from the fisheries sector. We have quickly foreseen that a collaboration between our both organisations would drive a new direction for the conservation of marine life. With its membership and knowledge of the small-scale fisheries sector, LIFE platform now plays a meaningful role in the group of conservation NGOs which we support, as the organisation ensures that marine conservation projects are also addressing the challenges met by fishers”
Julien Semelin
Manager, Mediterranean Basin Programme
MAVA Foundation
Support measures for small-scale fishing in the Baltic and North Sea
The project “Support measures for small-scale fishing in the Baltic and North Sea’‘ supported SSF networks in countries such as Poland, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The empowerment of small-scale fisher organisations was driven and assured by focusing on several priorities. Building the capacity of small-scale fishers in the region for effective representation in regional forums, especially Advisory Councils. Fostering regular collaboration with local fishers to grasp their situation, assist in identifying needs, and establish shared agendas and messages. Facilitating the creation of common positions and coordination of collective actions. Encouraging collaboration among small-scale fishers for knowledge exchange and best practice sharing. Ensuring that local fishers are well-informed about policy developments at all relevant levels. Providing advice for addressing the operational challenges faced by small-scale fishers in their daily activities.
Key achievement and results can be found in the : LIFE_BANS_Final_Technical_Report
Photo gallery (Workshop) Photo gallery (Final Event) Final event Video Final event Workshop
Donor: European Commission
Budget: 268.695,90 €
Geographical scope: Baltic and North Sea
Vremenska Crta: 2016 – 2018
Partners: LIFE
Launch of Low Impact Fishers of Europe Platform
LIFE received a start-up grant to formally register and launch the initiative, with main focus to develop a stronger voice for small-scale fishermen across Europe, represent small-scale low impact fishers with the European institutions in Brussels and support national organisations representing small-scale fishers.
Donor: Underwood Trust Foundation
Budget: 1.400.000 €
Geographical scope: European
Vremenska Crta: 2015 – 2018
Partners: LIFE
More information: LIFE’s Animation
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