LIFE OASIS Project (LIFE23-NAT-ES-LIFEOASIS)

Action Overview: LIFE OASIS (LIFE23-NAT-ES-LIFEOASIS) is a transnational innovation project addressing the critical threat of Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) and marine litter to pelagic biodiversity, specifically the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The project transforms the artisanal Coryphaena (dolphin fish) fishery in the Western and Central Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Malta) into a model of sustainability and circular economy. Core Objectives: 1.Technological Innovation: Develop and deploy "Smart Anchored FADs" (aFADs) equipped with selective echosounder buoys. This IoT technology allows fishers to remotely monitor biomass and species composition, reducing "blind" sets (bycatch risk) and fuel consumption. 2. Pollution Prevention: Replace traditional "single-use" plastic gear (often made of polypropylene raffia) with durable, traceable, and non-entangling materials to prevent the generation of ghost gear at the source. 3. Participatory Governance: Establish a co-management model where artisanal fishers act as "Guardians of the Sea," actively engaging in the reporting and retrieval of ALDFG and the safe rescue of entangled turtles. 4. Ocean Observation: Utilize the smart fishing buoys as opportunistic data nodes to gather essential environmental data for climate monitoring and Marine Protected Area (MPA) management. Expected Impacts: 1. Biodiversity Conservation: Significant reduction in the mortality and injury of loggerhead turtles and other pelagic species caused by entanglement and bycatch. 2. Marine Litter Reduction: Elimination of the annual discharge of thousands of kilometers of plastic raffia and active retrieval of existing ghost gear from key migration corridors. 3. Socio-Economic Sustainability: Implementation of a financially viable business plan for artisanal fisheries that adds market value to sustainable catches, ensuring the long-term adoption of the new gear. 4. Replicability: Validation of a scalable management scheme to be transferred to other Mediterranean regions (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria) and global fisheries facing similar challenges.