{"id":37840,"date":"2026-04-02T09:11:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/?p=37840"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:24:36","slug":"croatia-italy-cooperation-for-improved-marine-surveillance-adriwatch-project-kick-off-meeting-held","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/news\/croatia-italy-cooperation-for-improved-marine-surveillance-adriwatch-project-kick-off-meeting-held\/","title":{"rendered":"Croatia\u2013Italy cooperation for improved marine surveillance: ADRIWATCH project kick-off meeting held"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The kick-off meeting of the ADRIWATCH<\/a> project was held on March 27 in the Italian town of Pineto, officially marking the start of this new Croatian\u2013Italian initiative aimed at improving surveillance and data management in marine protected areas of the Adriatic Sea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting, organised within the Interreg Italy\u2013Croatia 2021\u20132027 cross-border cooperation programme<\/strong>, brought together project partners to lay the foundations for effective collaboration and successful implementation. Discussions focused on key aspects of project management, daily coordination of activities, financial management, monitoring, evaluation, and risk management. Special emphasis was placed on establishing an efficient internal communication system, developing a communication plan, and further elaborating initial project activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"adriwatch\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Focus on marine protected areas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ADRIWATCH project is led by the Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development Sunce<\/em><\/strong>, in partnership with the Italian Torre del Cerrano Marine Protected Area Consortium<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This protected area is one of the most significant marine sites along the Italian Adriatic coast, located between the towns of Pineto and Silvi in the Abruzzo region. It stretches across approximately seven kilometres of coastline and extends up to three nautical miles offshore, covering a total area of more than 3,400 hectares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The marine area features typical Adriatic sandy seabed ecosystems as well as underwater reefs, making it an important habitat for numerous species of fish, molluscs, and plants. Its value is further enhanced by the coastal belt of dunes and pine forests, creating a unique transition between land and sea. The overall landscape \u2013 combining green pine trees, golden sand and crystal-clear waters \u2013 makes it one of the most ecologically valuable areas of the Italian Adriatic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Many marine habitats today are under increasing pressure from human activities, which is why there is a growing need for a systematic and integrated approach to their protection. Marine protected areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity by regulating activities such as intensive fishing and nautical tourism, allowing ecosystems to recover and thrive. Biodiversity conservation is directly linked to the effectiveness of surveillance systems \u2013 areas with consistent and systematic surveillance<\/strong> show greater species richness and more resilient ecosystems. Experience and scientific research demonstrate that such areas benefit not only nature, but also local communities through resource preservation and support for sustainable development, \u2013 explained Matea \u0160pika, Project Manager at Sunce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The need for more systematic data collection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the key challenges in managing marine protected areas<\/a> in the Adriatic is the lack of high-quality, systematically collected surveillance data<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Data are often collected unevenly, even among institutions within the same system, and are still largely recorded on paper forms. This makes them less accessible, harder to analyse and compare, and further limits our understanding of the real situation on the ground, \u2013 \u0160pika added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such fragmentation, as \u0160pika further explains, significantly reduces the ability of competent authorities to assess surveillance effectiveness, identify key threats, and plan better, evidence-based management. Moreover, the absence of centralised and digitalised databases hinders cooperation between institutions involved in surveillance and enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strengthening marine monitoring systems in the Adriatic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ADRIWATCH project directly addresses these challenges by tackling the lack of effective and harmonised surveillance systems in marine protected areas. Building on the results of the previous EFFICIENTN2K<\/strong> project<\/a>, ADRIWATCH will develop and test a cross-border digital system for standardised data collection and management<\/strong>. This is a key prerequisite for more effective surveillance, better law enforcement, and the long-term preservation of marine biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Through the EFFICIENTN2K project, we clearly identified key weaknesses in surveillance systems in protected areas \u2013 from insufficient financial and human resources, to limited coordination between responsible institutions, and gaps in the implementation of existing legal frameworks. These findings highlighted the importance of developing a more efficient, coordinated, and data-driven surveillance system, which is one of the main goals of ADRIWATCH, \u2013 \u0160pika emphasised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planned project activities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n