Two weeks ago, the Mission Arena 3 of the BlueMission Banos took place in Amsterdam, organized by the coordinator SUBMARINER Network, Berlin, Germany. With over 200 participants addressing challenges in the Blue Circular Economy, the MSP4BIO and BLUE CONNECT were proud to be showcased along with BLUE4ALL and MPA Europe projects.
On November 26-27th, 2024, during the 3rd Blue Mission Arena in Amsterdam, the panel session "Connecting Seas: Cooperation and Tools for EU Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)" brought together leading voices from EU-funded projects to address critical challenges and opportunities in marine conservation. This session united representatives from the MSP4BIO&BLUE CONNECT projects, including from CCMS, as well as BioProtect, BLUE4ALL and MPA Europe. Each project showcased groundbreaking tools and methodologies designed to safeguard marine biodiversity while fostering sustainable governance and stakeholder collaboration in Marine Protected Areas across Europe.
The primary objective of the session was to pinpoint synergies between projects and foster collaboration to consolidate tools that enhance MPA management across Europe. These tools range from cutting-edge biodiversity monitoring technologies to frameworks for ecological connectivity and strategic spatial planning. By sharing insights and best practices, participants explored opportunities for joint data-sharing initiatives, unified stakeholder engagement strategies, and coordinated knowledge transfer.
MSP4BIO highlighted its Ecological-Socio-Economic Framework, offering a comprehensive toolkit for strategic marine spatial planning (MSP) tailored to biodiversity and socio-economic needs across six pilot sites.
Blue Connect detailed tools for ecological corridor identification, conservation effectiveness monitoring, and innovative stakeholder collaboration methods to meet ambitious EU restoration targets.
The “Connecting Seas” session demonstrated the collective power of EU-funded projects to address marine conservation challenges and it is the first step towards a more long-term collaboration among these projects. One important way of doing so is by them becoming part of the MPA managers and Local Communities group, an initiative focusing on compiling the outputs of those projects working with MPAs in one place, and offering a place to network with other stakeholders from the conservation world and other sectors of the blue economy.
Read more info about the panel session here!
On 27 November another joint MSP4BIO, BLUE CONNECT and BLUE4ALL Session was conducted: Stakeholder Engagement in Innovative Marine Solutions: Marine Conservation Management, Financing and Beyond
Effective stakeholder engagement is essential for sustainable marine management and policy implementation. The workshop was co-organized by BLUE4ALL, MSP4BIO, and BLUE CONNECT projects, and focused on inclusive approaches and sustainable business opportunities to boost marine conservation efforts. The discussions covered strengthening community involvement, addressing funding needs, and sharing best practices for impactful marine management., focusing on how inclusive approaches and sustainable business opportunities can enhance marine conservation efforts: https://www.b2match.com/e/mission-arena-3/sessions/c2Vzc2lvbjoxODI1Mzg=.
At the event, scientists, experts, policymakers and stakeholders are brought together to address key challenges and opportunities within the blue circular economy and foster vital collaboration to drive meaningful and sustainable change.