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THE RAMOGE AGREEMENT

Wishing to preserve the Mediterranean and Probably transported by boat ballast water
implement measures to limit marine pollution, and considering the highly favourable climate
Prince Rainier III de Monaco announced his desire conditions, this microalgae has been able
to establish cooperation between France and to develop in our region. For several years,
Italy as early as the 1970s. This initiative became Ostreopsis ovata blooms have been observed
reality on May 10, 1976 with the signature of the in the entire north-western part of the
RAMOGE agreement. Its name combines the first Mediterranean.
syllables of the names of the three cities that then
limited its zone of application: Saint-RAphaël to Proliferation is generally harmless, however
the west, MOnaco, and GEnoa to the east. when the species that proliferate are toxic, they
are known as HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms)
This agreement forms part of the Barcelona which can potentially have negative impacts on
Convention and its Mediterranean Action Plan. human health, marine ecosystems and the local
In 1981, the original zone of application was economy.
enlarged to extend from Marseille to La Spezia to
take into account States’ regional administrative The toxic effects are usually limited to flu-like
structures. symptoms such as fever, cough, nausea, cold,
conjunctivitis and respiratory problems. Affected
The RAMOGE agreement is an instrument to people have not necessarily been in direct contact
allow the three countries to establish a pilot with the water, but they just need to have inhaled
zone to combat marine pollution and enable droplets in the air, transported by the wind, for the
marine conservation. This Agreement introduces symptoms to show.
the notion of sub-regional cooperation and
solidarity on the scientific, technical, legal and The cooperative work by scientists in the
administrative levels. It allows the three States to RAMOGE Agreement with health authorities has
jointly determine and carry out actions on behalf helped exchange information to better understand
of integrated coastal management. Since 1993, ecology and the dynamic of Ostreopsis and
the agreement has also developed an operational to establish procedures to track the level of
arm, instituting an intervention plan common to concentrations of microalgae on beaches
the three countries in case of accidental marine during the summer season, and to provide crisis
pollution, called the RAMOGEPOL plan. The management methods when a bloom occurs.
RAMOGE agreement also endeavours to sensitize
users of the sea and the general public to During Monaco Ocean Week 2018, the
responsible behaviour with regard to biodiversity RAMOGE Agreement came together with the
and the marine environment. International Atomic Energy Agency to share its
experience and extend its cooperation in terms of
Among its activities, the Agreement has tracked management of HABs with over thirty countries
Ostreopsis ovata for over 15 years, a single-cell affected by this problem, in all regions worldwide.
microscopic algae which usually lives in warm
tropical waters but which has appeared for the
first time in the Mediterranean, on the RAMOGE
coast.

www.ramoge.org