DelFishPam: a brand new exciting project!
We’re kicking the year off with a brand new exciting project!
In collaboration with The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, The University La Sapienza in Rome, and the Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impacts And Sustainability in the Marine Environment of the National Research Council, Italy, we are very honoured to announce that we will be working on the DELFISHPAM Project, which continues to EcoMarine’s mission to merge public awareness with scientific research. The target species of this project is the Bottlenose dolphin.
Photo Credit Patrizia Patti
Bottlenose dolphins get their name from their distinctive bottle-shaped mouth. These intelligent creatures are spotted in different spots around the Maltese Archipelago and there have been a number of recorded encounters from numerous recreational boats and fishermen who are out at sea during the summer and even winter months. It is important to keep in mind that every encounter must have no negative impact on the dolphin community and their natural habitat as to ensure their well-being and conservation.
This 18 months-long project was awarded to EcoMarine Malta by the Malta Council for Science and Technology and aims to develop innovative monitoring procedures to inform policymakers, stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, as well as, conservationists, on the presence of the dolphins and their interaction with relevant economic activities aquaculture and fisheries. Furthermore, the presence of such dolphins would be recorded using acoustic devices, including underwater acoustic recorders and a hydromoths.
Photo Credit Patrizia Patti
EcoMarine will be collaborating with aquaculture companies across the island to achieve the aim of this project. Such a partnership is essential for the development of this project for numerous reasons, including the experience and knowledge the fish farm operators can provide, the access to the fish farm sites to plant our acoustic devices, help in checking and safeguarding these instruments, while also helping in the collection of data that will be used at European Level.
Currently, we are working on a draft protocol to be used as our plan for when we commence our project, which is very soon! We had a meeting with the researchers involved in this project to conduct a preliminary survey to better understand the areas of the fish farm we will be dealing with.
DELFISHPAM represents a significant step forward in understanding and managing the relationship
between dolphins and human activities in Malta’s waters. By adopting a holistic approach, policymakers can consider both biological and socio-economic aspects, ensuring the long-term sustainability of marine resources while protecting the welfare of cetaceans.
What we hope to get from this project is a preliminary understanding of the possible interactions between fisheries and dolphins and also an estimate the abundance, distribution and habitat use of the bottlenose dolphins.
Join us on this journey and for more updates make sure to follow us on our socials!
