The European Fisheries Control Agency has announced its support for the European project ‘Mediterranean virtual regional training academy on fisheries control and inspection (e-FishMed)’, which was launched on Friday 27 May at a first meeting with representatives of the participating countries, the European Commission and the consortium of the WestMed Assistance Mechanism.
The e-FishMed project will establish a regional virtual academy to support the fight against illegal fishing and the monitoring of conservation and management measures in the Mediterranean Sea, especially those adopted by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
An e-learning platform will be at the heart of the project, improving the efficiency of training activities and enhancing the skills of fisheries control and inspection staff. Funded by the European Union with up to €1 million through the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), e-FishMed is being implemented by the Vigo-based agency and will last 3 years.
Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia will be the beneficiaries of the project and the initiative will be technically supported by France, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain. In the future, the project could be extended to other Mediterranean countries. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)