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CIESM – The Mediterranean Science Commission – www.ciesm.org
MARINE PEACE PARKS
IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN
PREVIEW OF
A CIESM PROPOSAL
Text : Frederic Briand
layout : Paula Moschella
CIESM – The Mediterranean Science Commission – www.ciesm.org
The context
The long history of the Mediterranean Science
Commission (CIESM), an organization conceived in
1910 by pioneers of oceanography such as Prince
Albert 1st of Monaco, did nurture over time the
humanistic vision - some may call it idealistic - that
personal collaborations among researchers across
strong cultural, linguistic and religious divides can
overcome the mistrust, sectarism, intolerance - those
seeds of conflicts and wars - that plague the region.
Today the vitality and diversity of CIESM programs,
and the thousands of researchers from all shores who
work jointly on the exploration and lasting protection
of this highly impacted sea, attest of the modernity
and power of this vision.
The challenge
Far too little - less than 2% - of the Mediterranean
Sea is currently protected. Existing MPAs are often
limited to the coast … and to the size of confetti.
Obviously this will not suffice to preserve
Mediterranean biodiversity and integrity from the
assaults of coastal development, urbanization,
overfishing, tourism, fast-growing maritime traffic,
oil and gas off-shore
exploration.
One of the main reasons for
this dismal level of protection
is the fragmented nature of
maritime governance in
international waters, the
poor enforcement of existing
regulations and difficult concertation /
harmonization between EU and non-EU countries.
How to circumvent such obstacles? How to reconcile
such low protection levels with the targets defined
by the Convention of Biological Diversity at its recent
meeting in Nagoya (October 2010)? How to
effectively protect at least 10% of the world ocean by
2020? How to move Governments to multiply by five
the coverage of marine protection?
An innovative, ecosystemic solution
In November 2010, CIESM did gather thirty of its top
marine experts in the Sicilian town of Syracuse to
examine and refine a bold initiative that would assign
vast, coast-to-coast, trans-frontier marine areas - of
oceanographic, biological and geological importance -
to conservation. The outcome (CIESM Monograph 41,
2011) is a detailed, rigorous scientific rationale for
eight large areas (see map) identified in both the
western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean.
Goals and objectives for concerned countries
- Increase cooperation, training and
coordination between National agencies across the
border;
- Develop, manage joint research programs
and data sets;
- Jointly design, enforce pragmatic, dynamic
measures, such as spatial zoning, temporary
restrictions of fishing, restricted navigation corridors,
optimal location of off-shore drilling operations, etc.
The term ‘Marine Peace Parks’ became an evidence
for those familiar with the troubled, conflict-ridden
history of the Mediterranean region. Moving towards
their implementation will be a huge challenge, as the
fate of recent attempts (Gulf of Aqaba, Korean
Peninsula) amply demonstrates. It would mark the
first time that such a well-tested concept (on land)
becomes a reality in the marine world.
The origin of Peace Parks
Transboundary protected areas were first developed
in terrestrial environments with the clear, explicit
objective to conserve biodiversity while fostering
regional cooperation and
security (IUCN McNeil 1990;
Hamilton et al. 1996). The
benefits of transfrontier
conservation are many: the
larger zone of protection so
created does substantially
reduce the risk of
biodiversity loss and
enhances genetic mixing. Further, opportunities for
staff exchange and joint training at various levels
promote mutual understanding between different
approaches, different jurisdictions, and thus optimize
management of large areas, as shown by the current
success of transboundary cooperation in the Wadden
Sea. Taking the concept further, it became a
deliberate instrument of peace in sensitive regions
such as the once-troubled zone between Nicaragua
and Costa Rica or the Virunga volcano region shared
by Rwanda, Zaire and Uganda. These are the seeds
of the current CIESM proposal.
The creation of transfrontier ‘peace parks’ will
safeguard and improve existing friendly relations
between States, and lower the strain of existing
disputes over contested sea territory. And
particularly so in the Mediterranean Sea, where
historical conflicts and ideological tensions are the
rule.
The case for Marine Peace Parks
CIESM – The Mediterranean Science Commission – www.ciesm.org
Eight Marine Peace Parks proposed by CIESM
The CIESM proposal is very innovative in that it combines three powerful, unique features:
1. The coast-to coast nature of CIESM marine parks integrates contiguous coastal and open sea habitats, allowing for a
coherent set of measures to protect what is a dynamic, inter-connected marine system. The dimension of the park will
provide a more suitable range and connecting corridors to larger animals that actively move across the landscape,
enhancing the robustness and resilience of the ecosystem in the face of climate change, and thus ultimately enhancing
resource yields and local economies.
2. Not only will Marine Peace Parks preserve an endemic, threatened biota (unique deepsea communities, white coral
beds, monk seals, rare endemic species, fin whales, spawning grounds of bluefin tunas, etc.), they will also protect unique
geological features (deep sea canyons, mud volcanoes, sea mounts, hypersaline craters), and key oceanographic
processes (surface sites of deep water formation, strait fluxes) from the fast-growing exploitation of marine resources by
modern technology.
3. The complex history and geography of the Mediterranean Sea, where no coastal point is farther than 200 nautical miles
away from waters under another jurisdiction, is taken into account. Today a large number of legal disputes, some very
ancient, others quite modern, all still unresolved. The trans-frontier structure of the CIESM Marine Peace Parks puts this
problem aside: it will encourage, without prejudice to current national claims, the Governments of those countries directly
concerned to join forces and develop joint planning in the pursuit of a cause higher than their national interest.
Adapted from National Geographic Magazine
CIESM – The Mediterranean Science Commission – www.ciesm.org
A hotspot of biodiversity hosting many threatened and endangered species such as the common dolphin, sperm
whale and Cuvier‟s beaked whales, sharks and rays. This sector of the Mediterranean combines high levels of marine
diversity and a relatively low human population density.
Key features in need of protection
A unique oceanographic circulation, connecting the south Adriatic Sea to the northern Ionian Sea,
establishing vital corridors;
A seabed, derived from the Apulian platform and marked by a rich variety of marine canyons, caves and
submarine valleys, the latter hosting extensive white coral banks;
Deep hypersaline anoxic basins characterized by poorly known, highly specialized microbial communities;
Several submarine caves in the region represent a unique, vulnerable ecosystem, with specialized species
assemblages, highly vulnerable to disturbance;
Extensive deep sea white coral banks, considered biodiversity “hotspots” in the Mediterranean, have been
found in two valleys located in the Ionian Sea and South Adriatic.
Major pressures
The region is a complex mosaic of relatively well-preserved stretches of coast interspersed with areas subjected to multiple stressors, in particular deep sea fishing, illegal harvest of date
mussels, and heavy metal contamination.
High geo- and biodiversity
Massive Mesozoic limestones characterize the area. About 6 million years ago, during the „Messinian Salinity Crisis‟ (see CIESM Monograph 33, 2007), the former Apulian platform was
subjected to intense continental erosion and karsts processes. As a result, many caves and aerial valleys were cut into these rocks, to be later submerged in the low Pliocene.
One example: the CIESM Marine Peace Park proposed in the north Ionian Sea
CIESM – The Mediterranean Science Commission – www.ciesm.org
The recent exploration of the deep sea between the Southern Adriatic and the Ionian seas led to the discovery of important white-coral banks
(Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata): one south of Capo Santa Maria di Leuca; another in the Canyon of Bari (between Italy and Albania). The coral
banks represent an important biodiversity „„hotspot‟‟ and require urgent protection from trawl and long lines fishing.
The North Ionian is extremely rich in submarine caves, which the EU Habitat Directive singles out as a special habitat in need of protection.
Illegal fishing
Hundreds of kilometres of subtidal rocky coast have been destroyed in Apulia due to the
illegal fishery of the date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga. This rock boring bivalve is
extracted from the substrate with sledgehammers… Deep sea fishing and illegal artisanal
fishery are not the only threats; the Apulian area has been
selected as a priority area for wind farms, with potential
impacts on marine mammals due to noise and vibration
generation.
Coastal diversity
The eastern sector (Greek and Albanian waters) is vital for biodiversity. Beyond the Amvrakikos Gulf, which is one of the most important wetland systems in Greece, there are important
lagoons in Apulia and in Albania. The Albanian sector, especially the Karaburuni Peninsula – Sazani Island, has been identified as a priority area for marine biodiversity conservation by
recent national and international environmental reports.
Strong oceanographic connections
The northern sector constitutes an important migrating corridor for
cetaceans (Delphinus delphis, Physeter macrocephalus), marine turtles
and the monk seal (Monachus monachus) to and from the Adriatic Sea.
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