GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

This topic will focus on:

• Integration of tourism products and services provided by fishers and fisheries associations into the local/regional/sea basin tourist offers;
• Support fishers and other interested stakeholders, to assess the interest and feasibility to set up new regenerative ocean farms or restore coastal marine ecosystems, including by testing these approaches;
• Promotion of job creation in the field of sustainable blue economy.

Selected projects should carry out to the maximum extent possible the indicative (not exhaustive) activities listed below:

• Awareness raising and increasing social acceptance by showcasing results of existing projects related to fisheries diversification and benefits derived from them;
• Engaging local stakeholders and communities;
• Coaching, advisory services, mentoring, training for fishers in areas as for example pesca-tourism, eco-tourism, cultural heritage, shellfish and/or regenerative ocean farming, etc.;
• Promoting entrepreneurial activities amongst local fishers, offering the fishers initial training on maritime-coastal cultural and natural heritage or regenerative ocean farming;
• Providing training programmes on sustainability (green skills), digital skills, entrepreneurial and soft (customer service, languages) skills, communication and awareness-raising, tutoring services for new businesses, and the development of series of good practices guides and protocols;
• Matchmaking activities or other forms of support for cooperation among related blue economy SMEs/start-ups and other stakeholders;
• Developing and promoting marketing of coastal-maritime tourism routes including fisheries/aquaculture tourism products/services or demonstrating and test-base innovative methods for regenerative ocean farming, of either local seaweed species or seaweed in combination with shellfish;
• Creating local and regional networks to foster interaction between fisheries communities and economic operators in close cooperation with the local and regional government authorities.

Applicants shall explain in the proposal the added-value of their projects compared to similar actions implemented under national EMFAF Operational Programmes (shared management).