Double Awards at Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference

Today, 19th October, at the Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference, in Oporto, Portugal, the ASTRAL Project and BlueMissionAA both had the pleasure of receiving the Atlantic Project Award, in the categories of International Cooperation, and Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coasts, respectively. ASTRAL secured the top spot in the category of International Cooperation, for its remarkable work to create a collaborative ecosystem for Aquaculture in the Atlantic. This aligns with the principles of the Atlantic Action Plan, as reflected in the Galway (2013) and Belém (2017) Statements, and the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance. The award recognizes projects, initiatives, and actions that display a profound international dimension to foster collaboration and the sustainable use of Atlantic resources. The AIR Centre is leading WP1, which aims to create a Collaborative Ecosystem for Aquaculture in the Atlantic fostering the cooperation within the members of our network, which marks a clear commitment to the theme of the award. BlueMissionAA was also awarded, in the category of Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coasts, for its relentless efforts in being the coordination hub that is supporting the implementation of the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030" in the Atlantic and Arctic sea basins. Under the coordination of the AIR Centre, the project was recognised for its substantial contributions to the restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems and increased climate resilience, mobilising a broad community of Atlantic and Arctic stakeholders to create an well-functioning innovation ecosystem to upscale existing restoration solutions at basin level and beyond. The Atlantic Project Awards recognise outstanding initiatives, successful collaborations, and achievements aligned with the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0, primarily taking place in the European Union Atlantic Area over the past year. These projects serve as exemplary case studies, showcasing successful outcomes, best practices, and partnership models that can be replicated at regional, national, European, and global levels. They also contribute to advancing the key priorities of the Atlantic Strategy. The Atlantic Project Awards are overseen by the Atlantic Strategy Committee, with support from the Atlantic Assistance Mechanism. The Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference 2023 (ASPC 2023) took place in Oporto from 18th to 19th October, three years after the launch of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0, with the theme “Atlantic Future: New Synergies and Innovations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy”. It aimed to provide all stakeholders of the Atlantic Community the opportunity to review the progress and achievements made so far regarding AAP 2.0 objectives and blue economy challenges in the Atlantic Sea Basin.