In line with AdriaMed Project activities, the component referred to as “socio-economic aspects” is under implementation. The first AdriaMed meeting on Socio Economic Aspects of Adriatic Sea Fisheries, held at the University of Molise, Campobasso, 28th and 29th May 2001, (AdriaMed Technical Document, n°5 GCP/RER/010/ITA/TD-5 refers) identified a key objective which was to contribute to establishing a network of national experts from the Adriatic countries. The main priority topics were discussed and a series of activities were identified and implemented. As follow up, the 2nd meeting of the AdriaMed Socio-Economics network was held in Salerno in October 2001 and was organised with the collaboration of IREPA. The meeting identified a fourth task to be implemented by AdriaMed with the network of experts. The four tasks in hand are:

1. the preparation of a technical document on the Adriatic fleet;

2. the preparation of a technical document on “source and accessibility of socio-economic data in AdriaMed member countries”;

3. the definition of data characteristics and sampling requirements;

4. discussion and definition of priorities regarding fish marketing aspects.

Where the fourth of these tasks and the subject of this memorandum is concerned, it was decided to organise a meeting at the University of Ancona. This initiative was also discussed during the 3rd Meeting of the AdriaMed Coordination Committee, held in Tirana (22-23 November, 2001) and is an answer to some of the priority topics identified during the first AdriaMed meeting of the Adriatic Fishery Associations (Split, July 2001).

In the framework of the AdriaMed Project and in coherence with the activities carried out during the various Working Groups and meetings on socio economic aspects of Adriatic Sea Fisheries as mentioned above, the meeting “Aspects of Fish Markets in the Adriatic Sea Fishery sector” represents an important step to increase scientific knowledge on socio-economics in the Adriatic Sea.

The main objective of the meeting is to gain a better understanding of the fish markets through the collection of relevant information available at national and if possible international (Adriatic Sea) level.

The key aspects to be discussed during the meeting are: national and international marketing policy; the distribution systems, problems related to import/export; the prices of fishery products and so on. Each country will present a series of technical papers.

It is certain that current knowledge on market aspects of the Adriatic fishery sector varies around the region, as does the availability of information. The presentation of a single case study could contribute to the discussion.

The AdriaMed Technical Document TD10 shows the results of the meeting. The main priorities of the fish markets in the region will be identified.