The International Sanctuary forMediterranean Marine Mammals

IUCN and WWF

High Seas Marine Protected Areas Workshop

15-17 January 2003 - Malaga, Spain

What is the Sanctuary?

A large protected area (about 90.000

km2), including shallow coastal

and deep pelagic habitats,

comprising the territorial waters of France, Italy,

and Monaco, and the Mediterranean

high seas.

Why a Sanctuary?

1. the recent scientific findings of a rich pelagic mammal fauna in the area, and

2. the awareness of the existence of serious conservation problems for such fauna.

The impetus for the creation of the sanctuary was provided in the late 1980s by the obvious lack of legal instruments to protect the Mediterranean high seas, particularly in view of:

1. Scientific findings

• sighting cruises conducted between the late 80s’ and early 90s’ revealed an important presence of eight species of cetaceans in the Ligurian-Corsican Provençal basin;

• such presence was related to the high levels of primary productivity discovered in the area during oceanographic campaigns.

Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., M.C. Venturino, M. Zanardelli, G. Bearzi, F. Borsani, B. Cavalloni, E. Cussino, M. Jahoda, S. Airoldi. 1990. Distribution and relative abundance of cetaceans in the Central Mediterranean Sea. pp. 41-43 in Proc. 4th Annual Meeting of the European Cetacean Society, Palma de Mallorca, 2-4 March 1990.

Sighting frequencies of cetaceans in Italy

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

LIG TYR SAR SIC ION ADS ADN

mea

n n

. o

f si

gh

tin

gs/

h (

1/10

0)

Forcada, J., A. Aguilar, P. Hammond, X. Pastor, R. Aguilar. 1996. Distribution and abundance of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the western Mediterranean during the summer. Journal of Zoology, London 238:23-34.

• sighting cruises conducted between the late 80s’ and early 90s’ revealed an important presence of eight species of cetaceans in the Ligurian-Corsican Provençal basin;

• such presence was related to the high levels of primary productivity discovered in the area during oceanographic campaigns.

• sighting cruises conducted between the late 80s’ and early 90s’ revealed an important presence of eight species of cetaceans in the Ligurian-Corsican Provençal basin;

• such presence was related to the high levels of primary productivity discovered in the area during oceanographic campaigns.

Why are cetaceans so abundant?

Oceanographic studies revealed the presence in

the area of a permanent

frontal system, and consequent

upwellings of deep, nutrient-

rich waters.

Such presence of nutrients at the surface allows

substantial primary productivity in the

area, in striking contrast with most

of the Mediterranean

pelagic domain

223 225 228 230 233 235

25

50

75

100

125

150

Time (GMT)

Depth (m)

-90 -80 -70 -60 -50

Volume Backscattering Strength at 120 kHz

Meganyctiphanes norvegica Swarms on 24 September 1998, Ligurian Sea

Meganyctiphanes norvegica

the main Mediterranean euphausiid

2. Conservation problems for Mediterranean cetaceans

• Fishing

• Pollution

– hydrocarbons

– toxic chemicals

– noise

• Collisions

• Disturbance

• Global change

Most of the habitat of these pelagic cetacean species rests in international waters, beyond 12 n.m. from the coast.

In the Mediterranean Sea, where Exclusive Economic Zones (up to 200 n.m. from the coast) have not been created, management and conservation of high seas resources are problematic.

Obstacles to the implementation of conservation measures

towards the end of the 1980s it had become increasingly clear that novel initiatives in the field of

international law were necessary to protect Mediterranean cetaceans

Search for a solution

A brief history of the sanctuary

• Large numbers of carcasses of cetaceans by-caught in Italian pelagic driftnets are found in the Ligurian Sea (1988).

• “Operazione Cetacei” by Greenpeace Italy, under the scientific supervision of the Tethys Research Institute, presents the first evidence of the ecological importance of the Ligurian Sea for cetaceans (1989).

• ENPA collects signatures for a petition against driftnets (1989). Several Courts in Liguria confiscate the nets. The Minister of merchant marine emits several decrees (1989-90).

• The San Remo Rotary Club organises a seminar with the attendance of several Members of the Italian Parliament (1990).

• Several NGOs recur to the Administrative Court against the Ministry of merchant marine to ban driftnets (1990). The Court approves. The Ministry recurs to the Council of State, which upholds the Court’s ruling; fishermen blockade the Strait of Messina (1990).

• The Minister of merchant marine delimits a triangle in the Ligurian Sea and decrees it offlimits to driftnetting, except for the (few) Ligurian vessels (1990, modified in ‘91 and ‘92).

• The Tethys Research Institute conceives and drafts “Project Pelagos”, for the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in the Ligurian-Corsican-Provençal Basin, funded and promoted by the European Foundation Rotary for the Environment (1990).

• Project Pelagos is presented in Monaco in the presence of Prince Rainier III (1991).

• France, Italy and Monaco sign in Bruxelles a Declaration for the creation of an International Sanctuary for the protection of Mediterranean marine mammals, inspired by Project Pelagos (1993).

• After many obstacles and political changes in France and Italy, the sanctuary idea is revived in Italy in 1998.

• A formal Agreement among France, Italy and Monaco is signed in Rome on 25 November 1999 by Ministers Fautrier, Ronchi and Voynet.

• All Parties ratify the Agreement (2000 - 2001).

• The Sanctuary is inscribed in the list of SPAMIs (2001).

• The Sanctuary Agreement enters into force (2002).