CLS and its partners APC and ECR are thrilled to announce that our STARFISH 4.0 project is one of 26 sustainable blue economy projects selected for funding by the EU Commission under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). In all, the EU has awarded €19.1 million to accelerate the sustainable development of the Blue Economy and support its maritime policy goals.
100 fishermen in Greece and 50 fishermen in Mauritania will be involved for 18 months to test and give feedback on the device and apps. Their feedback will be collected through several questionnaires, which will be used to further refine and improve the product. As this product also includes mobile applications dedicated to fishermen families, shipowners, distributors and authorities, these stakeholders will also be surveyed.
As project outcomes, scientists and authorities will have precious information about SSF fishing activities, which will serve as crucial decision-making tools for sustainably managing resources. The willingness of fishermen to use such system shall be also enhanced ahead of EU regulations of this sector expected in 2021-2022.
Kick Off Meeting in Brussels
A Kick Off meeting for all the projects selected in the EU’ Blue Economy call was held in Brussels in early December. All 26 winners were on hand to present their projects and discuss strategies with EASME and the DG MARE. Benoit Albagnac, STARFISH 4.0 Project Manager, and Arthur Justice-Espenan, Marketing, from CLS Fisheries, presented the STARFISH 4.0 project, and received good feedback.
Kick-Off Meeting in Toulouse
All the STARFISH project partners meet the following week at CLS Headquarters in Toulouse, for a week of meetings and discussions. It was a great opportunity to learn more about our respective countries, fishermen’s needs, and plan out the project.
