Transcript ACCOBAMS and Pelagos BarbadesMAC

ACCOBAMS
Progressive steps forward
to protect whales and dolphins in
the Mediterranean Sea,
Black Sea and contiguous
Atlantic Area
The Convention on the Migratory
Species, CMS
 Protects endangered
migratory species
 Allows the establishment
of specific Agreements
The Agreement
Signed in 1996 and
entered into force
in 2001
The Institutionnal Bodies:
 Meeting of the Parties
 Permanent Secretariat
 Bureau
 Scientific Committee
 2 Sub-Regional Coordination Units
18 Contracting Parties
And a large partneship
The main goals
 Grant full protection to cetaceans
 Prohibit deliberate takings
 Minimize adverse effects of Fisheries
• Prohibit drift nets whose individual or total length is more
than 2.5 Km
•
Prevent fishing gear from being discared or left adrift at sea
• Immediate release of cetaceans caught incidentally in
fishing gear
The main goals
 Impact assessment to provide a basis for
either regulating or prohibiting the
development of activities linked to:
• Fishing
• Prospection and exploitation offshore
• Tourism, whale watching and scientific research
• Reinforce standards for discharges of pollutants
The main goals
 Protection of habitats and vital areas
capacity building
research and monitoring programs
common tools for collecting data and
disseminating information
emergency situations
The Scientific Committee
- 5 experts of CIESM
- Regional Representatives
from 4 sub-regions
- Representatives from 3 International
Organisations:
Union
Internationale pour
la Conservation
de la Nature
European
Cetacean
Society
International
Whaling
Commission
The ACCOBAMS’ Partner
Status
Conferred to NGOs who:
Have a statement of purpose that includes the
Conservation of cetaceans or activities relevant to the
Agreement
Have experience in implementing partnerships ventures
Are willing to actively contribute to the further
development of the policies and tools of the Agreement
through joint projects
Respond to emergency situations
The ACCOBAMS’ Partner
Status
Among the most active partners:
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Tethys Research
Institute
International Fund
for Animal Welfare
Central Institute for Scientific
and Technological Research
applied to the Sea
Second Meeting of the
Contracting Parties
Palma de Mallorca, 9/12 November 2004
New Bureau:
Croatia
Romania
Spain
Tunisie
More than 80 participants:
 16 riparian States
 European Commission
 IGOs and NGOs
Working Program
2005 – 2007
11 priority actions
 Political decisions
Socio-Economical aspects
 Science for Conservation
 Capacity Building
Political decisions
 Strengthening the links
with UNEP
 Delivery of research
permits (derogations)
 Collaboration with Pelagos
sanctuary Aggreement
 Strengthening bilateral and
multilateral Cooperations
Socio-economical aspects
NOISE in marine environment
 Impact assessment of the sources
of anthropogenic noise including
military activities
Preparation of guidelines by the
Scientific Committee
Socio-economical aspects
FISHERIES:
Mitigate interactions
 Project in collaboration with
European Community to reduce
bycatch
 Regulation on the use of acoustic
devices
 Conservation Plan for the Common
Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
Science for Conservation
 Protected areas
- principles for the Identification for key
areas
- Guidelines on management
 Abondance and distribution of
cetaceans
- Wide scale prospections
 Stranding networks and tissues banks
France-Italy-Monaco
Croatia
Georgia
Spain
Capacity Building
Educative Program
WDCS
Local
communities
Junior
Field works on
ACCOBAMS
implementation for
scientists designated by
their autorities
The tasks
ACCOBAMS helps Parties to:
 Communicate with other Intergovernmental
Organizations;
 Liaise between the conservation and the exploitation of
the living resources;
 Provide conservation tools for their Natural Heritage
 Facilitate harmonization between the Ministries;
 Set up a dialogue among socio economic sectors such
as fisheries, maritime transports, tourism…;
 Meet the relevant commitments set by other global or
regional instruments (UNCLOS, CBD, Barcelona, Bern,
Bonn and Bucharest Conventions..)
Publicizing
Fundraising
Strengthening the
links with Partners
and NGOs
Better publicize
ACCOBAMS
and its aims
WDCS
IFAW
Thethys
Public events
and
campaigns
Educational / Information material
The International Sanctuary for
Mediterranean Marine Mammals
PELAGOS
1. Scientific findings
Pelagos
Sighting frequencies of cetaceans in Italy
mean n. of sightings/h (1/100)
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
LIG
TYR
SAR
SIC
ION
ADS
ADN
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.
Why are cetaceans so abundant?
Oceanographic
studies revealed
the presence in
the area of a
permanent
frontal system,
and consequent
upwellings of
deep, nutrientrich 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
Meganyctiphanes norvegica Swarms on 24 September 1998, Ligurian Sea
25
Meganyctiphanes
norvegica
Depth (m)
50
75
the main Mediterranean
euphausiid
100
125
150
223
225
228
230
Time (GMT)
-90
-80
-70
-60
-50
Volume Backscattering Strength at 120 kHz
233
235
2. Conservation problems
for Mediterranean cetaceans
• Fishing
• Pollution
– hydrocarbons
– toxic chemicals
– noise
• Collisions
• Disturbance
• Global change
Obstacles to the implementation
of conservation measures
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.
Search for a solution
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
Pelagos
A large protected
area (about 87.000
km2), including
shallow coastal
and deep pelagic
habitats,
comprising the
territorial waters of
France, Italy, and
Monaco, and the
Mediterranean
high seas.
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-CorsicanProvençal 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 a Declaration for the creation of an
International Sanctuary for the protection of Mediterranean marine
mammals, inspired by Project Pelagos (1993).
•
Despite many obstacles and political changes in France and Italy,
the technical work never stops and the sanctuary idea is revived 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).
•
From this date two Meeting of the Parties were held :a
Management Plan was adopted and Permanent Secretariat
will be established in the coming months