From 23 February to 2 March, a dissemination and training activity was carried out during a workshop on the island of Lampedusa. The activity was addressed to the fishermen operating in the Marine Protected Area of the Pelagie Islands.

The first part of the workshop focused on the list of the most common marine alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. The session was supported by a presentation showing pictures and images, as well as the main entrance points to our waters and their main biological features. The fisherman, who proved to be highly interested in the topic, stated that some of the mentioned species are fished during small-scale fishing activities in Lampedusa.

Among them, the most common one is the dusky spine foot (Siganus luridus).

The second part of the workshop included a presentation of vulnerable marine species and the interactions among them, fishing tools (by-catch) and marine litter.

The fishermen reported also several sightings of vulnerable marine species during their fishing expeditions, in particular marine mammals such as Stenella coeruleoalba, Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus, Caretta caretta sea turtles and floating waste.

The workshop underlined the important role of fishermen in protecting the marine environment and the species living there.

They were aware of the current legislation on sustainable and responsible fishing in the Marine Protected Area and they were invited to cooperate with the University of Catania to report on sightings in the future.

The meeting ended with an open dialogue among the participants, who eventually have express their willingness in actively contributing and participating in the SEA MARVEL project.