Strengthen collaboration between the MPAs of the Adriatic Sea,
The Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park, created in 2010, is the 1st MPA established in Albania.
Fishing is only allowed in certain areas and only fishers holding a permit issued by the marine area
management authorities are allowed to access it. Recently, the management measures have been
expanded and MPA managers want to improve their collaboration with the local fishers and
strengthen the involvement of fishers in the management of the MPA. They plan to strengthen the
effectiveness of management measures and fisheries monitoring activities in the territory. Albanian
managers expected to build on the experience of the Italian MPA of Torre-Guaceto, also located in
the Adriatic Sea, which is a success story of small-scale fisher’s involvement in the management of
fisheries in an MPA. Indeed, the Torre-Guaceto MPA succeeded in overcoming the crisis between
fishers and local authorities concerning the ban on fishing in the MPA when it was established in
2001. With the support of scientists, an agreement between fishers and managers was found to open
certain areas to a regulated fishery co-managed by fishers and local authorities. Today, MPA fishers
are key players in the definition of management measures and the effects on the resource are visible.
This small project made it possible to finance several meetings between fishers and managers of the
two MPAs. The exchanges between these players enabled the sharing of knowledge and contirbuted
on giving to the Albanian players the opportunity to study in the field the management and
monitoring methods, previously implemented in the Italian MPA. Albanian protagonists were able to
adapt these experiences to Karaburun-Sazan MPA in order to build a management and sustainable
development strategy for fisheries. These exchanges gave a major contribution on strengthening the
links between the players of these two MPAs in the Adriatic, which
The Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park, created in 2010, is the 1st MPA established in Albania.
Fishing is only allowed in certain areas and only fishers holding a permit issued by the marine area
management authorities are allowed to access it. Recently, the management measures have been
expanded and MPA managers want to improve their collaboration with the local fishers and
strengthen the involvement of fishers in the management of the MPA. They plan to strengthen the
effectiveness of management measures and fisheries monitoring activities in the territory. Albanian
managers expected to build on the experience of the Italian MPA of Torre-Guaceto, also located in
the Adriatic Sea, which is a success story of small-scale fisher’s involvement in the management of
fisheries in an MPA. Indeed, the Torre-Guaceto MPA succeeded in overcoming the crisis between
fishers and local authorities concerning the ban on fishing in the MPA when it was established in
2001. With the support of scientists, an agreement between fishers and managers was found to open
certain areas to a regulated fishery co-managed by fishers and local authorities. Today, MPA fishers
are key players in the definition of management measures and the effects on the resource are visible.
This small project made it possible to finance several meetings between fishers and managers of the
two MPAs. The exchanges between these players enabled the sharing of knowledge and contirbuted
on giving to the Albanian players the opportunity to study in the field the management and
monitoring methods, previously implemented in the Italian MPA. Albanian protagonists were able to
adapt these experiences to Karaburun-Sazan MPA in order to build a management and sustainable
development strategy for fisheries. These exchanges gave a major contribution on strengthening the
links between the players of these two MPAs in the Adriatic, which
