News & Events 2023

SEMRU partners on three new EU funded projects

European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Award.

Project Title: Women in the Blue Economy: Intelligence Gathering and Capacity Boosting [WIN-BIG]. - In association with 12 other European research organisations. SEMRU Participants: Stephen Hynes and Edel Doherty

The WIN-BIG project aims to provide an accurate assessment of the gender status and women's role across the EU blue economy and its associated marine industries. as well as determining the skills gaps preventing women from entering or progressing on the blue career ladder. Surveying across EU sea basins regions will be complemented with available country specific reports to provide an aggregated estimate of the gender balance and capacity gaps in EU blue economy. The project is expected to culminate in a roadmap for capacity building for women in EU blue economy that aims to lay down actions and best practices learned that can be transferable across countries and regions further contributing to raise awareness and develop women’s roles in the EU blue economy.

Horizon Europe Award.

Project Title: Restoration of deep-sea habitats to rebuild European Seas (REDRESS). - In association with 19 other European research organisations.  SEMRU Participants: Anthony Grehan, Stephen Hynes

REDRESS aims to provide a key contribution to the EU commitments towards restoring degraded ecosystems, especially in the deep sea. REDRESS will provide solutions to prioritize future restoration actions, extend deep-sea restoration to previously neglected habitat types, and demonstrate the feasibility, potential, and value for success of deep-sea ecosystem restoration. SEMRU’s role in the project involves providing socio-economic data, protocols, and tools to plan, and upscale restoration interventions in deep-sea habitats as well as related cost-benefit analysis in different deep-sea habitats, supporting policies and decision makers in the future application of the EU Nature Restoration Law.

EU Life Award.

Project Title: MPA-LIFE-IRELAND. In association with 4 other European research organisations.  SEMRU Participants: Stephen Hynes

The overall aim of MPA-LIFE-IRELAND is to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status in Irelands Marine Area by expanding and improving Ireland’s network of MPAs to reach a minimum of 30% coverage of the Maritime Area by 2030, delivering a network of objective-driven, well-managed, monitored and enforced MPAs. This will be achieved through a participatory Ecosystem-based Management process involving the co-design, co-production and co-delivery of outcomes in close collaboration with marine stakeholder and citizens. SEMRU lead on the economics work package in the project where the welfare impacts on fisheries and wider society from the development of the MPA network will be examined