MARBENA Creating a long-term infrastructure for MARine Biodiversity research in the European economic area and the Newly Associated states

Sustaining livelihoods and Biodiversity

The e-conference will be used in first instance to prepare points of view and syntheses that will be presented at the next European Platform for Biodiversity Research and Strategy (EPBRS) meeting in Ireland in May, but will probably also have input in the Malahide Stakeholder Conference (following the EPBRS meeting) that will review the European Biodiversity Strategy at a high political level.

MARBENA is the marine voice on research issues relevant to the European policies as discussed at the EPBRS. EPBRS is the forum for discussing research on biodiversity as relevant to EU obligations and policies (more information at www.bioplatform.info).

This EPBRS meeting in Ireland in May will address all Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs intro: BAP Fisheries, BAP Conservation of natural resources, BAP Economic and development co-operation and BAP agriculture) of the European Community Biodiversity Strategy. This strategy aims 'to anticipate, prevent and attack the cause of significant reduction or loss of biodiversity at the source. This should help both to reverse present trends in biodiversity reduction or losses and to place species and ecosystems, which includes agro-ecosystems, at a satisfactory conservation status, both within and beyond the territory of the Union.'

Topics

	Welcome and introduction ( new: 4,unmoderated: )
	Session 1: BAP Fish - fishstock biodiversity ( new: 10,unmoderated: )
	Session 2: BAP Fish - non-target species biodiversity ( new: 44,unmoderated: )
	Session 3: BAP Fish - Aquaculture ( new: 7,unmoderated: )
	Session 4: BAP Natural resources ( new: 5,unmoderated: )
	Session 5: BAP Economic development ( new: 2,unmoderated: )

General coordination: Carlo Heip ,Herman Hummel and Pim van Avesaath Web site and conference hosted by VLIZ