Recognized as efficient tools for protecting ecosystems, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are marine and coastal areas that are delimited and managed with the aim of conserving biodiversity. Creating a balance between biodiversity conservation and sustainable human activities, Mediterranean MPAs restore the resources needed for the economic and social development of neighbouring populations.

In some MPAs, the establishment of highly protected areas with no fishing activity accelerates the restoration of ecosystems and fishery resources. Increasing the coverage of highly protected areas is futile if the management of those areas are not established and well-coordinated with the users of the resource, in particular, the fishers. WWF Adria partnered with Nature Park Telašćica to tackle this issue in the Park.

Guided by science and encouraged by the commitments of several countries to increase the number, coverage and efficiency of highly protected MPAs in the Mediterranean, WWF Adria partnered with Nature Park Telašćica to tackle these issues in the Park.

Over the course of the project WWF Adria, together with NP Telašćica will:

• facilitate the restructuring of the local fisheries co-management committee in order to improve co-management approach,
• establish and lead MPA surveillance and enforcement operational committee with national agencies that have capacity and legal framework to conduct enforcement at sea (fisheries inspectorate, coast guard, police, customs),
• design the remote electronic surveillance and control system in the zone of high protection,
• organize monitoring of fish stock/biomass Posidonia oceanica meadows and corraligenous communities to evaluate the effect of implemented actions on key habitats and species.

WWF Adria is partnering with Nature Park Telašćica to tackle these issues in the Park.
In order to solve these issues partners will work on continuation and strengthening of fisheries co-management implementation, setting up of the effective surveillance and enforcement systems, as well as accompanying monitoring to record the accomplished changes. 
 

FishMPABlue2

WWF Adria started working with NP Telašćica through the FishMPABlue2 project in 2017. The main goal of the project was to maintain biodiversity and natural ecosystems through strengthening the management and networking of protected areas in the Mediterranean. Through this project WWF Adria worked on establishing fisheries co-management in the park and established baseline fish stock and socio economic monitoring. The main outcome of this project was „Governance Toolkit for small scale fisheries in MPAs”.

SSF

Another project implemented in Telašćica was the SSF project in which WWF Adria continued supporting monitoring activities, co-management approach and improvement of surveillance. The main outcome of the SSF project was the establishment of no-take zones within the park, first no-take zones supported by fishers in the Adriatic.

Both projects set the baseline for the continuation of work in Telašćica through the MedFund project.