Representatives of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and FEMEPA participated on 4 June in the presentation event for projects approved under the first call of the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Programme, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The event brought together beneficiary organisations, project partners and institutional stakeholders from across the cooperation area to showcase the selected initiatives and promote the exchange of experiences among projects.
The delegation included Josefa de la Rosa on behalf of ULPGC, as well as Patricia Solinis Camalich and Irina León García representing FEMEPA, both partner organisations in the SANIFISH project.
During the event, the main objectives, activities and expected results of the projects approved under the first programme call were presented, highlighting the role of territorial cooperation as a key tool for addressing shared challenges faced by outermost regions and West African countries. The meeting also provided opportunities for dialogue among participating organisations and strengthened prospects for collaboration between European and African institutions.
Objectives of Participation
Representing SANIFISH, ULPGC and FEMEPA had the opportunity to present the progress achieved by this initiative, which aims to strengthen health surveillance and quality control capacities for fisheries and aquaculture products. The project seeks to improve diagnostic, inspection and sanitary analysis systems, thereby contributing to food safety, the sustainable management of marine resources and the competitiveness of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors throughout the cooperation area.
Taking advantage of the event, representatives from ULPGC and FEMEPA also held a working meeting with Amalatchy Jacqueline Yayo, representative of the Centre de Recherches Océanologiques (CRO), a local partner involved in project activities in Côte d’Ivoire. The CRO is a leading scientific institution in the country, specialising in oceanographic research, the study of marine and coastal ecosystems, and the sustainable management of aquatic resources.
The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange information on project progress, identify areas for technical cooperation and coordinate future joint actions aimed at strengthening scientific and technical capacities in fisheries and aquaculture health management. Possible lines of work were also discussed to promote knowledge transfer, the exchange of best practices and the active participation of Ivorian organisations in the activities planned under the project.
This meeting represents another step forward in consolidating the cooperation network established through SANIFISH, strengthening links among universities, research centres, public administrations and specialised organisations within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors across Europe and West Africa. Collaboration among partners will support the development of tools, methodologies and capacity-building activities that contribute to improving health surveillance and the quality of fisheries and aquaculture products in the participating territories.
Main Outcomes
The participation of ULPGC and FEMEPA in this event reaffirms both organisations’ commitment to international cooperation, knowledge transfer and the promotion of a more innovative, sustainable and resilient Blue Economy capable of addressing the common challenges faced by regions within the MAC cooperation area.
The SANIFISH project is co-financed at 85% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the first call of the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Programme (Madeira–Azores–Canary Islands). The project contributes to strengthening scientific, technical and institutional capacities to improve health surveillance, food safety and the sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Europe and West Africa.
