Malta hosts seminar on protected areas at sea

European and African participants from 11 countries met in Valletta last week for an international seminar on Marine Special Protected Areas.

The international seminar welcomed an international audience of scientists and seabird experts and aimed to establish criteria for the designation of protected areas at sea, important for their particular significance to rare or vulnerable seabird species.

The seminar and workshops were organised by the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project in collaboration with Birdlife International's Global Seabird Programme.

Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences and Heritage Malta delivered presentations on issues varying from Malta's initiatives in setting up marine protected areas to their potential tourism benefits.

The seminar was held at the Aula Magna, at the Old University Building in Valletta and came to an end last Thursday.