The PISCES project aims to develop practical guidance for implementing an ecosystem approach to managing the Celtic Sea. It is a partnership between environmental organizations and stakeholders from various industries that utilize the Celtic Sea. The project has brought these stakeholders together in a working group. It is developing a guidebook capturing stakeholder perspectives to help governments and stakeholders participate in implementing the European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The guidebook will be launched in October 2012 and the project will hold dissemination events through the end of 2012 to promote involvement in ecosystem-based management of the Celtic Sea.

1. PISCES
Partnerships Involving Stakeholders
in the Celtic Sea EcoSystem
Toby Roxburgh (Policy Liaison Officer)
The Shellfish Association of Great Britain’s
43rd Annual Conference
Fishmongers’ Hall, London. 22 – 23 May 2012

3. Presentation focus:
• Background to the PISCES Project
• Progress
• PISCES guide
• Next steps
• Opportunities

4. The PISCES project
• LIFE+ co-funded, 2009-2012, €2M
• WWF-UK + partners in France, Ireland, Spain
• Created and working with a Celtic Sea
stakeholder group
• Developing practical guide on implementation
of the ecosystem approach
• Focus on Marine Strategy Framework Directive

5. Celtic Sea

6. Stakeholder group
• Main sectors:
fisheries, mariculture, aggregates,
undersea cables, renewables, ports,
shipping, coastal tourism and recreation
• France, Ireland, England, Wales, Spain

8. PISCES guide
• Key project output
• Unique: “voice” of stakeholders
• Due for launch 1st October 2012
• Capturing views on, for example:
– How stakeholders can participate in MSFD
– benefits to government (and stakeholders)
– what is needed to make this happen (e.g. new
governance mechanisms, funding, incentives etc)

9. PISCES workshops

10. MSFD timeline and
scope for influence
Spatial Establish and
protection implement
measures monitoring
identified programme
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
MSFD enters Determine Programmes Programmes Achieve or
member state what GES of measures of measures maintain GES
legislation means for GES operational
Targets and
indicators for
each region

11. Emerging
messages
• Early/effective stakeholder participation:
– Voluntary measures / taking the initiative
– Helping to assess feasibility, effectiveness, costs
and impacts of measures
• Stakeholders need to be assertive / organised
• Governments need to support / enable
participation
• Multi-national multi-sector stakeholder forum

12. Next steps
• Final draft PISCES guide - Aug 2012
• Translation / editor / final design / printing - Sept
2012
• Launch of guide - 1 Oct 2012
• Dissemination / communication events in UK,
Ireland, France, Spain and Belgium (Brussels) –
Oct to Nov 2012

13. Opportunities to
get involved
now – 6 July - Reviewing / commenting on the draft
2012 PISCES guide
Oct – Dec - Attending / supporting PISCES
2012 dissemination events
> 1 Oct 2012 - Applying the guide in your sector
- Promoting it to other sea-users /
industry reps

14. Why
get involved?
• PISCES guide is the voice of sea-users /
industry
• Gain an increased understanding of:
– the views of other sea-users / industry
– practical steps / actions you can take
– how to participate in policy implementation

15. Why
get involved?
• Make your views known to others, including
other sea-users/industry and government
• Help to influence policy and implement the
ecosystem approach through “strength in a
common voice”

16. Thank you
pisces@wwf.org.uk
www.piscesproject.eu
www.twitter.com/projectpisces
PISCES is being delivered by WWF-UK in partnership with The
Environment Council and WWF Spain, with country technical
support from the Coastal & Marine Research Centre in Ireland and
SeaWeb in France.
This is an EC LIFE+ project with the contribution of the LIFE
financial instrument of the European Community.
Project number: LIFE07 ENV/UK/000943