We won! We were awarded the European Natura 2000 Award, in the Marine Conservation category, with project MedAves Pesca, which worked closely with fishing communities to protect seabirds. In this project, conservationists and fishermen discovered that a kind of kite, dubbed a ‘scary bird’, is effective at keeping seabirds away from fishing nets, lines and boats, preventing bycatch – one of the biggest threats to seabirds, the most threatened bird group.
According to Ana Almeida, Marine Conservation Officer at SPEA, “We’re extremely proud of this recognition, not just for what MedAves Pesca represents for seabird conservation but mainly because this project was developed in close cooperation with the fishing community.”
Now, we aim to get this and other solutions to as many fishing communities across Portugal and beyond; watch this space.
