Threats to Posidonia meadows and management of anchorage in Mediterranean MPAs - The Gyaros MPA case study C. Papadas, A. Georgopoulou, A. Alberini, P. Maragou, S. Kotomatas

Biogeographical Process Network Event: Anchors Away! Mitigating direct anthropogenic impacts on Posidonia beds 21-22 November 2019, Green Fund, Villa Kazouli, 2 PHAROS4MPAs: The Project in a nutshell

PHAROS4MPAs is a capitalisation project which aims at observing and advising on the interactions between Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs) and 7 maritime activities.

➔ Seeks to capitalise on existing results ➔ Will ultimately deliver an integrated framework for recommendations on the necessary practical collaboration between Mediterranean MPAs and 7 maritime sectors

https://pharos4mpas.interreg-med.eu/ 7 maritime sectors involved 2

TRANSPORT TOURISM ➔ Maritime transport and industrial ➔ Leisure boating ports ➔ Recreational fishing ➔ Cruises ENERGY ➔ Offshore windfarms FISHERIES ➔ Aquaculture ➔ Small-scale fisheries Transnational approach

PHAROS4MPAs project has a clear transnational approach and will + Belgium address common territorial Slovenia challenges France Croatia through the assemblage of a specific Albania Spain partnership built around 17 partners Italy Greece from 10 countries (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Slovenia, Malta Croatia, Belgium, Tunisia, Malta) + Tunisia Aquaculture Impacts ➢ Sedimentation that leads to organic load and turbidity ➢ Change in geochemical processes affecting levels of dissolved 02 and nutrients ➢ Use of chemical products ➢ Introduction of alien species

Recommendations ➢ Follow EU Guidelines on Aquaculture and Natura 2000 ➢ Fish farms in areas with seagrass meadows, coralligenous formations, fish spawning grounds and nursery areas should not be allowed ➢ Only aquaculture farms without a detrimental effect on the habitats and species should be permitted Natura 2000 sites and these should be assessed on a case-by-case basis Maritime transport and Cruises Impacts ➢ Antifouling coatings with high concentrations of biocides ➢ Wastewater emissions reducing oxygen levels and increasing potential algal blooming ➢ Release of bacteria and viruses ➢ Anchoring and mooring abrasion and disturbance of bottom sediments

Recommendations ➢ MSP can prevent anchoring impacts by introducing voluntary no-anchoring zones, adopting zoning plans indicating sensitive areas as well as suitable anchoring areas – establish strict limitations and buffer zones for navigation and mooring within MPAs ➢ Include MPA boundaries and anchor-sensitive areas on nautical charts ➢ Ensure implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention through inspections and monitoring activities. Leisure boating and fishing

Impacts ➢ Anchoring with conventional mooring chains scrub the substrate and damages Posidonia meadows

Recommendations ➢ Utilise floating anchors and eco-mooring to avoid anchor damage Small scale fisheries Impacts ➢ Anchoring with conventional mooring chains scrub the substrate and damages Posidonia meadows ➢ Specific fishing techniques (e.g. small-scale dredges) destroy or erode vulnerable habitats and affect sessile and fragile organisms

Recommendations ➢ Utilise floating anchors and eco-mooring to avoid anchor damage ➢ Establish anchor free areas within MPAs Offshore windfarms Impacts ➢ Cable laying and cable landing can have negative impacts on sensitive habitats such as Posidonia meadows

Recommendations ➢ Decision-making processes regarding future locations for OWFs should reflect conservation priorities ➢ Effective, ecosystem-based MSP should as far as possible ensure that OWFs are not deployed in areas that contain habitats, species and/or ecological processes that are particularly sensitive to their impacts during construction or operation Life Focusing on Gyaros island and the , we launched Cyclades Life in July 2013 with the aim of creating a model Marine Protected Area with multiple benefits for marine life and the local communities of the region

g.riogoutsos/wwf greece Project facts

The CYCLADES project implemented in the wider area around Gyaros island (NATURA 2000 site GR4220033 “NISOS GYAROS KAI THALASSIA ZONΙ”, but focused on the islands of and

Duration: 57 months (7/2013 - 3/2018)

Budget: €2.5 M

CYCLADES Life partners: ➢ WWF Greece (Coordinator) ➢ Ministry of Environment ➢ Decentralized Authority of Aegean ➢ Development Company of Cyclades ➢ Harokopio University of Athens ➢ MOm ➢ Tethys Research Institute Project objectives

➢ Establishment and effective management of the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Cyclades, through new approaches and innovative methodologies ➢ Successful implementation and promotion of sustainable fisheries’ management in the wider Cyclades area ➢ Protection of the most important monk seal population in Greece and in the Mediterranean ➢ Conservation of the area’s terrestrial and marine environment ➢ Establishment and promotion of a new model MPA at the Mediterranean level, based on the principles of c-management, ecosystem based management (EBM), and on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Gyaros The underwater Gyaros’ habitats…

✓ The coralligenous habitat, is in excellent condition, and covers 52% of the bottom of the area ✓ Posidonia's healthy meadows extend throughout the area to depths of up to 40 meters, with no trawl destruction Differences between classic anchorage and Eco - moorings

NO DAMAGE Types of sea bottom… ….and types of ecomoorings PEBBLES AND COBBLES Dead weight moorings SAND AND MUD sand screw

POSIDONIA MEADOWS BOULDERS AND ROCKS CORALLIGENOUS FORMATIONS The steel coil anchor Harmony type P

Grounded anchors Main objectives for installation of eco- moorings in Gyaros: ➢ protect extensive pristine Posidonia meadows ➢ enhance the recovery of local fisheries ➢ provide safe mooring for fishers and MPA visitors ➢ promote low impact activities within the MPA ➢ provide income for MPA management

c.papadas/wwf greece Underwater field work

The field team, after studying the needs for moorings around the island, as well as the wind conditions, dived for an underwater autopsy. Position of eco moorings

B

BW PB 3 PB 2

PB 1

A ΜΥ Design and construction Permit process – obstacles encountered

➢ Inadequate legislation – eco-moorings not foreseen ➢ Existing permit process too complex with 3 Ministries involved – 20+ different authorities consulted ➢ Mandate for decision making at Ministries leadership ➢ Relevant authorities under-staffed and overwhelmed with work ➢ Legislation changed 3 times during the process ➢ Legislative gap in business aspects of such projects ➢ More than 5 years following the maze of the permit process without a clear time-plan for reaching a concrete result The vision for the future

➢ Operation of mooring system under the responsibility of the Cyclades Protected Areas Management Body ➢ Enforce no uncontrolled anchorage throughout the Gyaros MPA ➢ Mooring fees to support Gyaros MPA’s management ➢ Establish monitoring system to assess effectiveness ➢ Collaborate with MoE to designate anchorage free areas throughout the Aegean MPAs and NATURA 2000 sites ➢ Collaborate with Management Bodies to replicate and extend eco- mooring installations throughout all MPAs (and NATURA sites) in Thank you ☺