AQUAMED · The future of research on aquaculture in the Mediteranean Region

The fast development of the Mediterranean aquaculture (freshwater, marine) is confronted to a set of 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 countries is contrasted in terms of importance of the sector, domestic market demand, typology of the industry, and research and development structures and capacities. Consequently, a strategy for a knowledge-based development of the activity has to be implemented using a flexible and concerted approach. To deliver practical results, the AQUAMED project will be based on a four step process consisting in (1) mapping and setting a database of all relevant information (about policies, research and socio-economy) in each partner country, (2) identifying common situations and constraints between countries, (3) grouping countries confronted to similar driving forces in order to foster information exchanges and formulate more focussed science based recommendations and (4) setting up of a multi-stakeholder platform to promote a research organisation and an revolving implementation plan aiming at the sustainable development of aquaculture. The platform will be organised to be self-sustainable after the end of the project. It will be instrumental to rationalising 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, covering most of the situations of the aquaculture sector met in Mediterranean, will put the emphasis on the participatory approach, the dissemination of the outcomes of the AQUAMED activities and the sustainability the multi-stakeholder platform.