National Monitoring Programme for Marine Biodiversity in Israel
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NatioNal MoNitoriNg PrograMMe for MariNe Biodiversity iN israel With the fnancial support of EcAp-Med II Project legal notice: The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) and UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) concerning the legal status of any State, Territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of their frontiers or boundaries. This publication was produced with the fnancial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of SPA/RAC and do not necessarily refect the views of the European Union. Copyright : All property rights of texts and content of different types of this publication belong to SPA/RAC. Reproduction of these texts and contents, in whole or in part, and in any form, is prohibited without prior written permission from SPA/RAC, except for educational and other non-commercial purposes, provided that the source is fully acknowledged. © 2019 - United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) Boulevard du Leader Yasser Arafat B.P. 337 1080 Tunis Cedex - Tunisia. [email protected] for bibliographic purposes, this document may be cited as: UN Environment/MAP-SPA/RAC, 2019, National monitoring programme for marine biodiversity in Israel; by: Barneah O., Roditi-Elasar M., and Kerem D., Mayrose A, Hatzofe O., EcAp Med II project, SPA/RAC, 84p. Cover photos credit: © SPA/RAC, Mathieu FOULQUIE. The present document has been prepared in the framework of the EcAp Med II project fnanced by the European Union. For more information: www.spa-rac.org National Monitoring Programme for Marine Biodiversity in Israel EcAp-Med II Project Study required and fnanced by: EcAp-Med II Project Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) Boulevard du Leader Yasser Arafat B.P. 337 1080 Tunis Cedex - Tunisia [email protected] In charge of the study at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) • Ruth Yahel, Marine ecologist • Simon Nemtzov, Wildlife ecologist In charge of the study • Orit Barneah, Marine biologist • Mia Roditi-Elasar, Israeli Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Centre • Dani Kerem, Israeli Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Centre • Asaf Mayrose, Houbara Environmental Consulting and Avian Conservation • Ohad Hatzofe, Avian Ecologist – INPA 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Forword ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 List oF Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................. 7 A-LegisLAtion And reguLAtory Aspects ................................................................................................... 9 I. Institutional and regulatory aspects ........................................................................................................................ 9 II. Legislation protecting marine/coastal ecological objectives ............................................................................... 9 III. National legislation transposing the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols into national law ...................... 10 IV. Overview of legislation tools that implements Legislation which contains elements of marine monitoring ... 11 V. Coordination, management and fnancing of monitoring activities (allocated responsibility, technical meetings, consultation with relevant stakeholders) .............................................................................................. 13 B-monitoring progrAmme For mArine hABitAts ................................................................................... 15 I. Background ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 1. Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP) ............................................................................. 15 2. IMAP common principles and structure ............................................................................................................... 15 3. The common indicators (UNEP(DEPI)/MED IG.22/Inf.7) .................................................................................... 15 4. IMAP recommendations regarding national monitoring plans ........................................................................... 15 5. Israel’s National Monitoring Plan – past and present .......................................................................................... 15 II. Habitats in Israel’s territorial waters and EEZ - Current data (according to SEA) ................................................ 17 1. Habitats in Israel’s territorial waters and EEZ - short overview ........................................................................... 18 1.1. Soft substrate .................................................................................................................................................... 19 1.2. Rocky substrate ................................................................................................................................................. 19 1.3. Vermetid Reefs .................................................................................................................................................. 19 1.4. Deep sea corals and methane seeps at Palmahim disturbance area ........................................................... 20 2. The proposal for Israel’s National Monitoring plan (according to IMAP ecological objectives) regarding Habitats (Common Indicators 1 and 2) ................................................................................................................ 20 3. Monitoring plan (EO1 and EO2) – according to the revised national monitoring plan ...................................... 20 3.1. Hard bottom Habitats ....................................................................................................................................... 20 3. 2. Soft bottom habitats ........................................................................................................................................ 20 3. 3. Phytoplankton, Zooplankton and bacteria ...................................................................................................... 23 3. 4. Data collection and storage as part of the National monitoring plan ........................................................... 24 c-monitoring progrAmme For mArine mAmmALs ................................................................................. 31 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 31 II. Marine mammals in Israeli Mediterranean waters ................................................................................................ 31 III. Monitoring of marine mammals (MM) in Mediterranean European waters........................................................ 32 IV. Historic & current MM monitoring in Israel ........................................................................................................... 34 V. Proposition for a MM monitoring programme for Israeli waters .......................................................................... 35 1. Monitoring stratum 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 35 2. Monitoring stratum 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 36 3. Monitoring stratum 3 ............................................................................................................................................. 37 4. Selective monitoring of endangered species ....................................................................................................... 37 5. Annual summary report ......................................................................................................................................... 38 VI. Proposed budget .................................................................................................................................................... 38 d-monitoring progrAmme For seA turtLes ............................................................................................ 43 I. Background ................................................................................................................................................................ 43 1. Species of interest ................................................................................................................................................. 43 2. Reproduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 44 3. Threats .................................................................................................................................................................... 44 4. International Protection measures ......................................................................................................................