“Blue Isles” Erasmus + Project for the marine ecosystem
From January 2022 and for 24 months we participate, in collaboration with five European organizations in Malta, Cyprus, Italy and Spain, in the adult education program Erasmus + entitled “Supporting Fishing Waste Reduction and Marine Systems Preservation in European Islands and Coastal Areas, BLUE-ISLES”.
The project is co-funded by the European Union and aims to waste reduction from fisheries and aquaculture on islands and coastal areas of southern Europe, and the consequent preservation of marine ecosystems.
Through scheduled, interdependent activities, the project seeks to enhance the knowledge and skills of both the fishing community and aquaculture workers, as well as the relevant municipal employees for the adoption of sustainable practices in the above sectors. The data and results of the project will contribute to the development of training material, awareness and policy planning proposals to address the problem of marine litter in insular and coastal areas of Europe.
1 Project Coordinator: Epsilon Malta Ltd, Malta (www.epsilonmalta.com/), Partner Organisations: European Profiles, Greece (www.europeanprofiles.gr), University of Cyprus, Cyprus (www.ucy.ac.cy), TDM 2000 ODV, Italy (www.tdm2000.org), IcadePro, Spain (www.icadepro.es)
June 2022, Project Result 1: Transnational Report
This transnational report is the first deliverable of the ‘Blue Isles’ project and has been compiled based on the results of the research elaborated from the project partners in five EU countries (Malta, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Italy).
The report presents the attitudes and knowledge of fishery and aquaculture workers towards marine littering and innovative sustainability methods in the sector, as well as the level of collaboration between them and the municipal employees in charge of environmental protection, in several islander communities in the five participating countries.
At the same time, it presents the level of cooperation of the above branches with the municipal employees, responsible for the protection of the environment, in the respective island communities of the five participating countries.
You can read the entire report here.
December 2022, Project Result 2: Training material
Project Result 2 foresees the design of training curriculum and the development of relevant training material targeting both fishery and aquaculture workers and municipal employees, to enhance their knowledge in blue sustainability and economy and adopt sustainable practices in their daily work. In this context, collection of best practices from other EU countries further enriches their knowledge with existing initiatives.
The design of the training curriculum was based on the knowledge emerged from the transnational report of the previous result and includes the intended learning outcomes, an outline of each training session as well as a relevant assessment protocol.
The development of the training material follows the “train-the-trainer” approach, to enhance the knowledge of municipal employees in order to be able to support, in turn, their community. To this end, the training material includes a complete handbook with guidelines, educational activities and extra supporting material for the practical management of a training session as well as a set of presentations, real stories and narratives and best existing solutions. All of the above will support the municipal employees in order to be able to organize and implement a set of coherent training sessions for fisheries and aquaculture workers.
The project’s deliverables were presented in Greece at an Info Day event organized at the beginning of April in Santorini, with the participation of fishermen, municipal employees and professionals.
September 2023, Deliverable 3: E-learning platform and project website
Within the framework of the Blue Isles program, an e-learning platform was developed to host the training sessions of the 2nd deliverable and provide access to all project information and outcomes for stakeholders and the general public.
As the most of the participants are from rural municipalities with limited access to lifelong learning opportunities, conducting the training online enables them to have remote and open access. The virtual training sessions are accessible to all partners and participants through the platform, which serves as a virtual learning environment. Users are able to find the online training program, engage in learning activities, and utilize assessment tools to evaluate their progress during and after the project. UCY is responsible for maintaining the platform throughout the project, providing technical support for the training conducted via the platform.
To register on the platform and access the project’s website, follow the provided link: https://blueisles.eu/
December 2023, Project Result 4: Awareness raising podcast series
The Blue Isle project’s fourth deliverable foresees the production of awareness raising podcast series of the risks and challenges European seas are facing.
The series consists of 1 to 3 episodes from each participating country (Greece – Malta – Italy – Cyprus – Spain) in the partners’ national languages, while one episode per country was also translated and recorded in English.
The episodes include captivating interviews with experts from various fields, providing insights into the current status of the marine ecosystems and the detrimental effects of human activities. However, there is a particular emphasis on showcasing solutions and practices within the circular and blue economy framework, underscoring the urgent need to preserve the health of our seas and tackle marine pollution.
Check out all the episodes on:
