Summarizing experiences gained during the implementation of the project in the past two years and the previous six national workshops in Croatia, Turkey, Albania and Montenegro under the Technical Cooperation Programme, the Regional workshop was organized by the FAO, EUROFISH and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey in Mugla region (Bodrum) on October 31 – November 2, 2012.

Dr. Nazif Ekici, the Director of Mugla province department of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey, welcomed participants from Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and Turkey and emphasized the important role of Mugla region in the fast growing Turkish aquaculture. It is responsible for 70 000 tonnes or 37% of the total national aquaculture production and 22 000 tonnes or 32% of the exports of the Turkish fishery products. The Turkish industry expressed importance of the emergent demand for processed fish and seafood products, both at the national and international markets. At the same time, consumers tend to pay a thorough attention to all the steps in fish production – from harvesting method and type of processing to labeling, transport and sales. In this context, the issues of international trade including food quality and safety, labeling, traceability and market aspects are of great importance to the aquaculture industries in the respective countries. “Otherwise, the market access is likely to face serious difficulties”, mentioned Dr. Nazif Ekici.

Situated in the south of the Adriatic, Montenegro has very favourable conditions for rainbow trout farming.

After becoming a separate and independent state from Serbia in 2006, the country has been reinforcing its fisheries sector with aquaculture production. Currently, the output of farmed fish and seafood is estimated to average 520 tonnes a year. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is the main freshwater farmed species, and although the production output is moderate, there are 26 rainbow trout farms with a total average annual production of 268 tonnes. Typically these are small, family owned farms (or owned by small enterprises), producing 5–20 tonnes per year with the exception of four larger farms which produce 50–130 tonnes per year. Most of the farms use raceways, while a few sites use cage production systems. Fish is produced mainly for the domestic market; with small quantities exported to neighbouring countries, e.g. Serbia and Macedonia.

The health benefits of fish are widely publicised; however, the healthy attributes of bivalve

molluscs do not receive the same attention. Except perhaps in countries with tradition in cultivating and consuming bivalves, most of the consumers are not aware that molluscs are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that help fight cholesterol and heart disease.

Moreover, it is less known that Albania is the 4^th largest European producer of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) after Italy, Greece and France, having a production of about 1400 tonnes (2010 data) as per the FAO - Fishstat Plus statistics.

With a view to build upon ongoing cooperation, enhance collaboration and promote synergies with organizations sharing similar mandates and interests, the 36^th session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in Marrakech, Morocco, 14-19 May 2012 considered and adopted seven Memoranda of Understanding. The MoU were signed with the United Nations Environment Programme - Secretariat of the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP-MAP), the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), Black Sea Commission, the Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean (MedPAN), the Regional Advisory Council for the Mediterranean Sea (RACMED), the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and International Organisation for the development of Fisheries in Central and Eastern Europe (EUROFISH).

The GFCM and EUROFISH will cooperate on the dissemination of information, publication of relevant publications, collection of statistics and data relating to the Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries as well as to the aquaculture sector in the region, and carry out joint activities to raise awareness of the importance of fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea