I TRANSNATIONAL HOPE PARTNERS MEETING IN ALCALÁ, GUÍA DE ISORA
In February 2025, a 2-day conference, hosted by Innoceana, launched the beginning of project HOPE – a project centered around advancing transnational cooperation to protect the rich marine biodiversity in the Macaronesia region. A part of the consortium of HOPE partners, travelling from Azores, Madeira, Cabo Verde, and Sao Tomé e Principe, came together for the first time in Guía de Isora, Tenerife, to meet and discuss next steps for the project.
DAY 1
The I Encounter started off at el Pris in Alcalá, right where the future marine conservation and interpretation centre will be; the heart of project HOPE. After a round of introduction by the CEO of Innoceana, Carlos Mallo, the Island Director for the Natural Environment at the Cabildo, Pedro Millán, and the Mayor of Guía de Isora, Ana Dorta, the partners had the chance to visit the future interpretation centre for themselves. The rest of the morning was filled with presentations of the different partnering organizations, explaining the work they do for the ocean.
In the afternoon, after an exquisite lunch at el Muelle Viejo where the partners could further get to know each other, it was time to sit around the table and discuss objectives for 2025. This workshop was centered around gathering ideas for the future interpretation centre – how would it look, what kind of exhibitions would be there and which interactive elements would work well to attract an audience? Due to the different experiences of the HOPE partners, this session led to a fruitful discussion with many ideas.
DAY 2
The second day of the conference started with two rounds of seminars. The first session was centered around the theme: Marine Protected Areas by HOPE: Presentation and Challenges. Various HOPE partners gave a presentation on this topic related to their island. The second session highlighted: Best Practices in the Protection of Marine Environment, in which more HOPE partners shared their ideas on how a safe marine space for whales could/should be created.
The highlight of the conference took place in the afternoon, where the consortium was invited to a responsible whale watching tour in Los Gigantes to see the whales that inhabit the region for themselves. After an hour of enjoying the scenery and spotting marine wildlife, the day ended at the Mynd hotel for a final goodbye and to cheer on the success of this first Encounter for HOPE.
WHAT IS NEXT?
The I Encounter of the Transnational Partners of HOPE was a success, and we are looking forward to the future of this project. Next up will be the e-meeting with our partners in Senegal and Ghana!
