AdriSmartFish is a project funded by the Interreg VA Italy Croatia 2014-2020 Programme, managed by 10 partners including national, regional and local institutions and research bodies operating in the fisheries sector in Italy and Croatia. The general objective of the Project is to strengthen the Small-Scale Fishery (SSF) role in the GSA 17 soon, by fostering its potential for innovation within the Blue Growth context. In a sector like the SSF, which has evolved in strong connection with local tradition and in balance with the ecosystem, the elements of innovation most likely to bring the greatest benefits won’t be found in processes and technologies, but rather in the approach to management and in the valorisation of the products, in an effort to boost its resilience and sustainability, and market value. Exploiting the great adaptability of SSF, the Project will promote its assumption as a paradigm for the implementation of integrated management strategies, through an Ecosystem-Based Approach. The project will involve all the actors responsible for the management of the coastal area with a bottom-up approach; strategies to mitigate risk and exploit opportunities will be identified in cooperation with stakeholders, and will serve to strengthen the scientific advice, to improve medium term planning and the policy making process. The project focuses on:
- the definition of the SSF state-of-the-art in the area;
- the definition of a shared protocol for the valorisation of SSF as a basis for the development of pilot activities in the project area and the development of the EU collective mark “Adriatic Small-scale Fisheries”;
- new fishery management solutions on-the-field;
- the testing of market innovation actions aimed at promoting access and positioning on the market of the SFF products fishing as well responsible consumption of the fish products (seasonality, sustainability, short supply chain, reduced CO2 emissions);
- the setting up of a cross-border association of SSF operators, capable of devising and enforcing a Resources Management Plan
Partnership:
- Veneto Region - Agri-Environment, Fishery and Wildlife Programming and Management Directorate - Lead Partner (Italy)
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice - Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (Italy)
- Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia - Service for Hunting and Fishing Resources (Italy)
- Emilia Romagna Region (Italy)
- Marche Region – Fisheries Economy Department (Italy)
- Region of Istria - Administrative Department for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fishery and Water Management (Croatia)
- Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (Croatia)
- Zadar County (Croatia)
- IOF - Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Croatia)
- Ministry of Agriculture - Directorate of Fisheries (Croatia)
ASSAM role: Technical assistance to the Marche Region, Fisheries Economy Unit
Project Duration: January 2019 – March 2022
Project total budget: € 3.242.000
Project website: https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/adrismartfish