On Thursday, 16th December 2021, at a side event organized in the framework of the 8th Meeting of the Parties to the Pelagos Agreement, the Permanent Secretariat and the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community partners have endorsed the annexes specifying the areas of cooperation among the partners and projects involved for the year 2022.
As a reminder, this event complements the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations to promote and facilitate transboundary technical and scientific cooperation, which took place during the 2020 Forum of Mediterranean Marine Protected Area son 30th November, 2021 in Monaco.
In particular, the cooperation actions identified strengthen the partnership:
- with partners of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community and the Permanent secretariat, in support of the achievement of the objectives of the 2022-2027 Management and Action Plans, on networking and capacity-building;
- with the thematic projects engaged in the MBPC Community to build synergies and coordinate actions related to Marine Protected Areas networking, geospatial data management, fisheries local governance and marine litter in the Pelagos area.
On this occasion, the Monegasque Party, which held the Chairmanship of the Meeting of the Parties in the person of Mr. Cyril Gomez since 2017, handed over the Chairmanship to Mr. Carlo Zaghi for the Italian Party, for the next two years.
In this context, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco conveyed to the representatives of the three Member States a message of support for the actions of the Agreement, recalling the importance of international cooperation in the field of marine environmental protection and hailing the adoption of ambitious objectives in the three countries.
The Monegasque Chairmanship was marked by a strengthening of cooperation, the renewal of the status of Special Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance and the implementation of international research projects. The Parties took advantage of the international health crisis to prepare the work on the new Management Plan and Action Plan (2022-2027) of the Agreement, guiding its activities for the next five years.
With this in mind, the new strategic documents of the Agreement were adopted during this two-day meeting, notably:
- the Management Plan and related Action Plan (2022-2027), which defines a new vision for the Agreement, in particular for the conduct of its activities;
- the Work Program and Budget for the 2022-2023 biennium;
- the terms of reference of the Pelagos Agreement Working Groups, which will be established through the publication of a call for expressions of interest in order to ensure broad and inclusive participation of all stakeholders;
- simplified procedures to facilitate decision-making in the Agreement;
- the terms of reference of the "Pelagos Voluntary Fund", aimed at raising funds for the implementation of the activities foreseen in the Management Plan and the Action Plan.
In addition, the Parties adopted resolutions on the main anthropogenic threats in the Sanctuary, such as chemical and biological pollution from land-based sources, collisions and mitigation measures, and plastic pollution.
On Tuesday, November 21st, 2021, in the framework of the side event “Collaborative framework and stakeholder involvement in the Pelagos Agreement" the Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement and the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community signed a Memorandum of Understanding, with the support of the Interred Med Joint Secretariat.
The aim of this Memorandum of Understanding is to promote and facilitate technical and scientific transboundary co-operation in the design and implementation of biodiversity protection and management actions in the framework of the Agreement’s Management Plan and Action Plan (2022-2027) to be adopted by the Parties to the Pelagos Agreement, to be held in Rome on December 15th and 16th, 2021.
In particular, this cooperation aims to:
- facilitate the transfer of expertise, tools and knowledge;
- exchange information and data related to biodiversity and pressures in the Sanctuary;
- conduct joint capacity building activities;
- realize joint research activities;
- develop a scientific-technical pool of experts to support the implementation of the Management Plan of the Agreement:
- participate jointly to workshops, site visits and meetings.
In occasion of a side event organized during the 8th Meeting of the Parties will also signed the annexes of the Memorandum of Understanding, specifying the actions to be developed between the Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement and the partners of the MPBC, as well as with ongoing projects.
Click pdf here to consult the press release.
The Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement participates to the 2020 Forum of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, being held in Monaco and online from November 29th to December 1st, 2021.
This event, gathering marine environment stakeholders (national entities, international organizations, civil society, marine protected area managers, scientists, etc.), aims to exchange best practices, share experiences and, in particular, establish the post-2020 Roadmap containing the objectives and priority actions for Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas.
Click
pdf
here
to consult the press release.
On October 19th, 2021, the municipality of Brando signed the Pelagos Partnership Charter, confirming its intention to commit to the protection of the marine mammals of the Pelagos Sanctuary.
We thank Brando and wish them a warm welcome!
The French National Committee of the Pelagos Sanctuary (CNS) held its meeting on Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 in Ville di Pietrabugno (Haute Corse).
This meeting, which brings together all the French partners (institutional, socio-professional, scientific, associative), brought together about sixty participants (in person or by videoconference) around the representatives of the french Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Préfecture Maritime de la Méditerranée, the Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement and the French animation team.
The CNS was the opportunity to officially welcome the Municipality of Ville di Pietrabugno to the network of municipalities/Etablissements Publics de Coopération Intercommunales (EPCI) signatories of the Pelagos Charter.
Rich in exchanges and discussions on Mediterranean marine mammals and the protection of species and their habitats, everyone could express his views on the subjects discussed during the meeting.
At the international level, the Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement presented the draft 2022-2027 Management Plan, which will be submitted for validation at the 8th Meeting of the Parties next December in Rome. ACCOBAMS presented the NETCCOBAMS project.
At the national level, the municipalities/EPCI signatories of the Partnership Charter shared their commitment and the initiatives carried out locally. In addition, the Office de l’Environnement de la Corse and the Cap Corse and Agriate Marine Natural Park presented their actions in favour of cetaceans.
The Préfecture Maritime de la Méditerranée informed the meeting about the treatment of historical ammunition, for which a doctrine is being drafted. The new regulation in force, following the Ulysse decree of 06/07/2021, which extends the ban on approaching cetaceans to less than 100 metres to all french Mediterranean waters, has been recalled.
The French Ministry of Ecological Transition gave an update on current issues such as the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area project, underwater noise and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive action plan.
The french animation team stressed:
- the essential role of the Sanctuary's partner municipalities and EPCI in spreading its action throughout the territory and particularly in Corsica through the distribution of communication and awareness-raising tools made freely available (exhibitions, posters, bookmarks, footage, etc.). The network continues to grow with new Pelagos Charter signatures scheduled in the near future;
- the availability of management tools (IMMERCET, TraCasse) ready to be deployed as soon as a large marine mammal carcass will be eligible to be sunk
- the setting up of a working group (State services, scientists and associations) on the development of criteria for issuing derogations for filming requests, which will draw up a decision support grid for State services;
- the launch of the three-year research programme 2021-2023 and the call for thesis proposals for the PNPC/Pelagos.
In addition, two presentations were made, one by Océane Desbonnes (Master 2 supervised by GREC) on the identification of cetacean disturbance thanks to the PADOC application; the other by Professor Glotin (University of Toulon) on the results of Bombyx 1 and the progress of Bombyx 2, which, with the deployment of 8 buoys along the Mediterranean coastline, will detect the presence of large cetaceans and relay information to the REPCET® anti-collision system and the authorities.
The next meeting is scheduled for autumn 2022 in the Var!
Contact: pelagosfrance@portcros-parcnational.fr
Observing cetaceans in their natural environment is commonly called "whale watching". Badly practiced, this activity can be a source of disturbance, while well managed, it becomes a very good tool for environmental awareness.
Within the Pelagos Sanctuary, 8 species of cetaceans are frequently observed. To respect their tranquility, the French animation team of the Pelagos Sanctuary invites you to watch this short film entitled "For an eco-responsible approach of marine mammals".
Cetaceans are protected species. Since January 1st, 2021, the approach to less than 100 meters is considered an intentional disturbance and is therefore prohibited within marine protected areas including the Pelagos Sanctuary (see amended Decree of July 1st, 2011 in French version).
Enjoy!
Copyright : French animation team of the Pelagos Sanctuary - Port-Cros National Park
Financed by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition
Produced by Regard du Vivant - 2020 with the support of the TOTAL Foundation
The 8th Meeting of the Parties to the Pelagos Agreement will be held on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th December, 2021 in Rome and by videoconference.
On this occasion, the Parties to the Agreement will adopt the new Management Plan (2022-2027), the provisional budget and the Working Program for the 2022-2023 biennium. They will also examine the recommendations of the international projects financed by the Pelagos Agreement and approve the Terms of Reference for the creation of a "Pelagos Voluntary Fund" as well as the constitution of new Working Groups. During the meeting, the Italian Party will take the Presidency of the Agreement for the next two years.
If you wish to take part in the 8th Meeting of the Parties to the Pelagos Agreement, please send an email to: secretariat@pelagos-sanctuary.org no later than October 15th, 2021.
On September 16th, 2021, the municipality of Bormes-les-Mimosas signed the Pelagos Partnership Charter, confirming its intention to commit to the protection of the marine mammals of the Pelagos Sanctuary.
The Pelagos Agreement Authorities thank Bormes-les-Mimosas and wish them a warm welcome!
The next French National Committee of the Pelagos Sanctuary, organized and animated jointly by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and the animation team of the French Part of the Pelagos Agreement will be held on Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 in Ville di Pietrabugno (France, High Corsica).
This annual meeting aims to present the ongoing and future French Part and international activities, as well as exchange with the different partners of the Sanctuary.