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Partnerships Involving Stakeholders in the Celtic Sea Eco-System (PISCES)

About PISCES

The Celtic Sea region is an area of diverse wildlife and important ecological activity. Among the animals it attracts are a plethora of seabirds; harbor and grey seals; blue, fin, minke and killer whales; as well as dolphins and porpoises.

Many people also depend on this region for its vital resources to support their livelihoods and so have a great stake in the Celtic Sea being a functioning ecosystem. However, the demands of industry, shipping, commercial fishing, coastal recreation and the many other human activities upon the region are great. The Celtic Sea is one of the most heavily used bodies of water in the world, and these uses will only be expanding.

In response to this growing problem, the European Commission's LIFE granting program funded a project called Partnerships Involving Stakeholders in the Celtic Sea Eco-System (PISCES) to find new and innovative ways to engage stakeholders in working together on environmentally sound solutions for the region, develop stakeholder understanding of the ecosystem-based approach to management, and produce a set of stakeholder-led guidelines for an ecosystem-based approach to management of activities in the area. The four organizations partnering on this project are SeaWeb, WWF, the Coastal and Marine Resources Centre at the University College Cork and The Environment Council.

Where We Are Working

The PISCES project is working throughout the Celtic Sea region. For the purposes of this project, this is the area as defined by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea shown in this map. Its boundaries encompass a large area with varying depths and include the coasts of three countries—Ireland, Wales and France—as well as part of the English Channel. Although the boundaries do not include the Spanish coast, many Spanish fishermen operate and have interest in these waters and so take part in the project as stakeholders.

Why is PISCES Unique?

The PISCES project is pioneering. It is the first project designed to address conservation issues of the Celtic Sea of a trans-national nature—involving four major European countries—and that endeavors, through the involvement of stakeholders, to translate European Union policy into practical outcomes on the ground that are applicable to the many cultures and sectors involved. In addition, an advisory group is working alongside four partner organizations to guide and support the project.

Objectives

The three-year project, which began in December 2009, is working to achieve the following four main goals by the project's end in December 2012:

• Local marine stakeholders have gained a greater understanding of the ecosystem-based approach to marine management
• Local marine stakeholder groups are working cooperatively to develop a comprehensive strategy (recognized by participating Celtic Member States) for implementing an ecosystem-based approach to managing the region according to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive
• Outcomes and lessons learned are communicated to the broader marine community in the Celtic Sea and adapted to accommodate the needs of other marine sub-regions within EU maritime waters
• The project is technically and financially managed within the three-year timeframe, and stakeholder groups have cooperatively established a plan to ensure the project's future sustainability

Activities

The PISCES project is assessing how stakeholders are now engaged in the Celtic Sea region and evaluating the effectiveness of these methods. It is also aimed at discerning what the ecosystem-based approach to management has meant to the area's stakeholders; and at providing them with a better understanding of the relevant EU policies. Stakeholders can then use this information to better position themselves to upcoming changes in regulations, and develop strategies to engage new stakeholders in the Celtic Sea region.

Stakeholders will then be able to have ownership of the guidelines for how they work with Celtic Sea Member States to manage the region. If successful, these guidelines will be a model that can be applied in future stakeholder engagement efforts on sustainable marine management in the European Union and potentially internationally.