Page 22 - Livre_MOW2024_EN

20 | STRENGTHENING OCEAN GOVERNANCE

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Roadmap for 2030

Hosted by MedPAN, the Mediterranean marine conservation community met

to take joint action to tackle the challenges facing the Mediterranean Sea under
the banner “Because marine protected areas are everyone’s business”.

From NGOs and scientists to international The ‘Road to 2030’ MPA roadmap features a set
organisations and local initiatives, all the stakeholders of objectives, along with the recommendations,
on the ground count in the management of marine strategies and actions needed to achieve them, the
protected areas (MPAs), a central concern at Monaco aim being to mobilise, align and coordinate efforts
Ocean Week. Even though the Barcelona Convention by all the different stakeholders to meet marine
and the European Union respectively provide conservation targets. The future of one of the world’s
Mediterranean countries with a regional framework hotspots – in terms of biodiversity abundance,
and sub-regional cohesion, the implementation of economic activities, anthropogenic pressures and
policies, strategies and actions to protect the marine climate change impacts – is at stake. To mobilise
environment varies considerably across the region. In the support of the key stakeholders, a new call for
addition, MPA coverage in the Mediterranean varies commitment will be announced soon.
significantly from one country to another and between
the northern and southern shores. The effective “The creation and management of MPAs doesn’t
management of these marine protected areas, which rely on a personal vision but a collective one. The
is exacerbated by Mediterranean, European and roadmap enables us to hear every stakeholder’s
international marine biodiversity conservation targets, opinion”, said Purificació Canals, President of
remains a challenge. MedPAN, in her opening address at the meeting held
at the Oceanographic Museum on 21 March 2024.
The first panel discussion assessed the Mediterranean
THE MEDITERRANEAN situation: different protocols, specific action plans
SITUATION (such as those spearheaded by the SPA/RAC
to manage vulnerable species), MPA categories
In 2012, the Mediterranean Marine Protected Area (national status, Natura 2000, Pelagos Sanctuary),
Forum community developed the first MPA roadmap collaboration tools, etc. “Since 2016, there has been
for the region to create a common agenda. In 2021, no change in strictly protected marine protected
an update led to a new roadmap for the coming areas, which represent only 0.04% of seas. The
decade. The real value of this publication is that it target is 10% of seas strictly protected by 2030”,
becomes a ‘living document’ that helps achieve noted Susan Gallon, Scientific Manager at MedPAN.
the targets and outcomes set at international and Feedback from several MPAs was then presented.
regional level, not least other effective area-based
conservation measures (OECM) in the Mediterranean.