AQUAMED

Title: The future of research on aquaculture in the Mediteranean Region

Summary: The rapid development of the Mediterranean aquaculture (freshwater, marine) has encountered some difficulties e.g. inadequate production systems and competitiveness, interaction and space competition with other users and the need for a proper integration in the coastal zones, possible negative impact on the environment and negative image of the product quality. Aquaculture development in the Mediterranean is constrained by a number of factors including importance of the sector, domestic market demand, typology of the industry, and research and development structures and capacities. Consequently, a strategic approach to the knowledge-based development of the activity has to be implemented using a flexible and dedicated approach.

To deliver practical results, the AQUAMED project will be based on a four step process consisting of:

• mapping and setting a database of all relevant information (about policies, research and socio-economy) in each partner country;
• identifying common situations and constraints between countries;
• grouping countries confronted to similar driving forces in order to foster information exchanges and formulate more focused science based recommendations and
• setting up of a multi-stakeholder platform to promote a research organization and an revolving implementation plan aimed at the sustainable development of aquaculture.The platform will be organized to be self-sustaining after the project end.

AQUAMED will be instrumental to rationalizing research programming in order to avoid duplication, fragmentation and dispersion of research efforts, and to stimulate a long-term cooperation and coordination among policy makers, aquaculture industry and RTD performers in the Region. The Project consortium, representing most of aquaculture sectors in the Mediterranean, will emphasise the participatory approach, the dissemination of the outcomes of the AQUAMED activities and the sustainability of the multi-stakeholder platform.

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