From 4 to 7 October 2021, the kick-off meeting for the SEAWISE project (Horizon 2020) took place virtually. SEAWISE aims to provide a fully functional platform that will make it simple for fishers, managers, and policymakers to implement Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in their fisheries and Professor Dr Phoebe Koundouri participates in it as scientifically responsible for certain tasks through the ATHENA Research Center.
SEAWISE will identify and address core EBFM concerns with the help of advice users, developing tools and advice for collaborative management targeted at accomplishing long-term goals in the face of environmental change and increased competition for space. To produce a comprehensive perspective of all fisheries interactions in the European Atlantic and the Mediterranean, SEAWISE, based on stakeholder participation and drawing on current management mechanisms, will operate in four major stages namely, Construction of experts’ network, Gathering of new knowledge in an appropriate knowledge base, Development of predictive models and Provision of practical, ready-for-uptake advice.
ATHENA RC’s contribution to this project, under the scientific guidance of Professor Dr Phoebe Koundouri, will be on various tasks aiming to 1. Identify the key social and economic aspects of fisheries through a systematic review and feedback from stakeholders, 2. Summarize all the effects of fisheries on society within a socio-ecological framework evaluate which fleets are most exposed to Climate Change, and which are more resilient to ecological changes through Data Analysis and modelling 3. Understand the possible socio-economic consequences of alternative management measures in terms of efficiency of the different fleets and CO2 emissions, considering the climate impact of fishing and 4. Explore the impacts of price volatility on society.