ERA continues to implement the EMFF project for knowledge improvement and better management practices of pressures on the marine environment.

Marine Monitoring Consortium (M3C) have been commissioned by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) to implement and update the existing marine monitoring programme and to develop a database of the data gathered. The scope of the monitoring programme is to assess the state of the marine environment. The M3C consortium is comprised of AIS Environment Ltd (Malta) and AZTI Tecnalia (Spain).

Devising a holistic approach towards marine monitoring is one of ERA’s ultimate goals for this European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF 2014-2020) project. The effective management and sustainable use of marine resources is for the benefit of the environment and for all marine sectors, including our economy. ERA is expected to absorb the full €1.6 million in public eligible EMFF funds (75% EU 25% MT), allocated for this programme to continue working towards achieving Good Environmental Status in our marine waters.

ERA will be sharing the concrete data and information obtained from the project with various entities. In this regard, the project will contribute towards reaching Malta’s obligations as an EU Member State in relation to the marine sector.

Four stakeholder workshops and a final conference will be held as part of the project in order to disseminate the knowledge garnered. The 2nd workshop was held on 5th October 2018 to:

  • Introduce the project and its main objectives;
  • Give an overview of the progress of the project so far;
  • Describe some results collected during the first monitoring year;
  • Outline the recommendations made for the updated monitoring programme; and
  • Describe the plan for the second monitoring year.​

Besides representatives from ERA and M3C, other entities, which are directly or indirectly responsible for the marine environment, were present and also contributed feedback to the future of this project. Attendees included the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Ministry for Gozo, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Continental Shelf Directorate, Transport Malta, Environment and Health Directorate, Malta Marittima Agency, and the University of Malta.

For further information kindly contact [email protected]