Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, catalysts for building peace and security and fostering sustainable economies, South Asia and Atlantic Ocean basin

This EUR 7 million project, “Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, catalysts for building peace and security and fostering sustainable economies, South Asia and Atlantic Ocean basin (EuropeAid/139855/DH/SER/MULTI)”, was set up to meet European Union (EU) objectives set out in the EU Joint Communication on International Ocean Governance and the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy. The project built on the experience of the Transatlantic MPA project funded by the EU (2016-19), which promoted a transatlantic partnership through developing partnerships and twinning activities between marine protected areas in the Atlantic basin. 

The project focused on activities to protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and foster cooperation and security in South East Asia. It built partnerships between MPAs in this region and in the Atlantic Basin to support the promotion and exchange of knowledge. The three-year project brought together networks of MPA managers, MPA managers, national and local administrations, regional organisations, local communities, the private sector and non-governmental organisations. The main objectives were to:

• Advance a process leading to enhanced cooperation of MPAs in and between the Atlantic and South East Asian regions.
• Support the implementation of marine and coastal ecosystem restoration activity in the South East Asian region
• To facilitate broader regional cooperation on marine and coastal resilience in the South East Asian region with a view to underpin regional stability.
• Contribute to the effective management of MPAs in the Atlantic and South East Asian regions.

The 4 main components were

1. Increased knowledge and practice of protecting and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems in three selected areas of marine protected areas in the South East Asian region.
2. Improved management of marine protected areas around the Atlantic Ocean using the concept of shared environ- mental protection.
3. Strengthened knowledge exchange between Atlantic and South East Asian marine and coastal regions.
4. Improved basis for dialogue among marine and coastal stakeholders in the South East Asian region. 

Tom and Francis were involved in the second component, within the framework of the Marine Mammals Twinning (a way to enhance transatlantic cooperation between MPAs) developed in the previous EU-funded MPA transatlantic project.