The Change Makers Group at the business partner Aquapesca was formed by seven individuals from different departments. The identification of key individuals for this group was made possible through collaboration between MUVA and Aquapesca's leadership. The rapid assessment of the organizational culture of Aquapesca enabled the team to map those potential champions to participate in the Change Makers Groups. The selected team members were then listed for the approach.

Training and capacity building for the change makers group took place intending to equip the Aquapesca team with the MUVA facilitation methodology, which is grounded in participatory popular education techniques. The training program with the Change Makers Group at Aquapesca had specific objectives designed to empower the group and equip them with necessary skills and knowledge, including a significant component on the gender perspective. This involved a comprehensive review of the concept of gender and an examination of societal norms that shape gender roles and expectations. By understanding these dynamics, participants were better equipped to address gender-related issues in their training and community engagement efforts. 

A rapid assessment enabled us to intricately outline the methodological workflow for our collaboration with the company Aquapesca. This workflow began with the formation of the Change Makers Group, working in close tandem with the MUVA team to grasp the methodologies necessary for ensuring the sustainability of our approach within the organization. The Change Makers Group was entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading processes within the organization, ultimately becoming champions of inclusion and gender equality, working in conjunction with colleagues and leadership. Following the group's inception, leadership training was conducted to create awareness and generate initial ideas regarding the areas of focus for action plans with new practices and policies for the company. Subsequently, the Change Makers Group was trained, building capacity for them to facilitate the approval of these plans and mobilize working groups dedicated to each area of work. 

The purpose of this block is to propose financial mechanisms to sustain ghost fishing gear surveillance and improve fishers' compliance with the management agreement. This is an economic analysis that helps to build a shared view of how the problem could be managed, how much that would cost in a certain period, and which funding options are available to the community, including potential income generation from the upcycling of ghost fishing gear and other marine debris.

The purpose of this building block is to identify the impacts of ghost fishing both on the ecosystems and the people.

Rapid ecological assessments are used to establish a baseline of the impacts observed in two ecosystems: mangroves and rocky reefs, identified as key conservation priorities in the management plan of the regional protected area.

The social-ecological aspects of the problem require more time for data collection. Surveys of perception, in-depth interviews, and workshops are used to obtain information from the fishing and diving community about how the problem is happening in the area and its social and economic implications. The goal is to gain a deep understanding of the situations that lead to fishing gear abandonment, loss, or discard.

The purpose is to improve the local capacity to safely remove ghost fishing gear from the sea. The existence of a permanent diving center in the area is mandatory to provide security during all aquatic activities of the training and cleaning campaigns.

The purpose is to encourage fishers to actively prevent fishing gear loss and to report it when it happens. Fishers are invited to participate in interviews and workshops, where they share their experiences and ideas for solutions in the local context.

As well as providing useful information about the surrounding natural area (e.g. trails, routes) and relevant information about this (e.g. routes’ terrain, length, degree of difficulty, changes in altitude), the trail centres also educate users on how to behave in nature. Codes of conduct educate users about how to respect nature while enjoying their sport/activity in a natural environment. For example, centres may provide information about how to respect nature when walking, running, or cycling on the local tracks, trails, and routes.

Some centres also provide information about the natural and cultural history on the routes, increasing users’ awareness of their natural environment.

The Trail Centres act as physical spaces that increase and improve access to physical activities in nature, contributing to physical and mental well-being.

Their carefully chosen locations in proximity to nature (forests, water, and trails) help establish freely accessible, round-the-clock meeting places and start-points for outdoor sporting activities. As some are located close to urban areas, they also provide a gateway from urban to natural environments. 

Their combination as an all-in-one clubhouse, provider of service facilities, and meeting and training space, makes them ideal sites for local sports associations to use, as well as un-affiliated groups or individuals. This provides a space for socialising within, and between, sports and promotes relationship-building amongst users and with local sports associations.

Providing access to service facilities participation in outdoor sports activities (e.g. bicycle pumps and cleaning stations; covered training space; functional training equipment (stairs, monkey bars, TRX, etc.); storage space for equipment; and changing rooms/showers/toilets). As sites for borrowing equipment (e.g. map and compass, roller skis, SUP boards, etc.), the centres also encourage people to try new activities in nature in an affordable manner. 

The numerous buildings in need of repair or conservation create the need for clear guidelines. Local authorities lack the capacity to guide owners or translate urban regulations into decisions and the town’s historic landscape is threatened by new buildings, extensions and restorations which conflict with its specific character and natural landscape.

Following the rise in requests for professional advice, Studiogovora published a best practice guide for preserving valuable characteristics. The guide builds on a detailed analysis of the buildings, historic spa complex and public spaces. It describes each type of architectural element: facades, ornamentation, balconies and terraces, roofing etc., extending to the courtyard and its relationship with the landscape. It outlines a set of rules, identifies valuable elements, and puts them in a larger context, suggesting solutions for repairing elements, and contemporary interventions.

The Guide was developed in cooperation with heritage professionals and it has been adopted by local authorities as a set of official recommendations that will be supported and monitored by a newly established local planning commission. The guide is available for free online and it is also available to be purchased in physical format.

With more than a third of historic structures in decay and disrepair, there is urgent need for conservation works. These need to be done taking into account the extent of physical damages, ownership, availability for funds, investment opportunities, as well as possible future uses and users.

Studiogovora is developing a program to assess and prioritise interventions on the historic buildings and has until now acted to secure one of the oldest historic villas in the resort, helped several residents with advice and small scale works, and has restored a gazebo dating back to the 1930s. The team has also started to recover and store valuable pieces such as doors or furniture until they can be restored.

At present a couple of interventions have already been completed, this include an emergency intervention, a full building restoration and repair intervention for a roof. Several restoration projects are in the planning phase and their implementation is dependent on the decisions made by owners.