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UNITED NATIONS UNEP/MED WG.461/17 UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN 10 May 2019 Original: English Fourteenth Meeting of SPA/BD Thematic Focal Points Portorož, Slovenia, 18-21 June 2019 Agenda item 6: Conservation of sites of particular ecological interest 6.3. List of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI List) 6.3.2: Inclusion of areas in the SPAMI List Draft Proposals of areas for inclusion in the List of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI List) For environmental and cost-saving reasons, this document is printed in a limited number. Delegates are kindly requested to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies UNEP/MAP SPA/RAC - Tunis, 2019 UNEP/MED WG.461/17 Page 1 Table of contents I. Executive summary of the “Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve” presentation report ............................................................................................................... 2 II. Executive summary of the “Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area” presentation report ..................................................................................................................................... 4 III. Executive summary of the “Landscape Park Strunjan” presentation report ......... 6 IV. Executive summary of the “Cetaceans migration corridor in the Mediterranean” presentation report ............................................................................................................... 8 Annex I: Presentation report of the “Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve” proposed by France for inclusion in the SPAMI List Annex II: Presentation report of the “Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area” proposed by Italy for inclusion in the SPAMI List Annex III: Presentation report of the “Landscape Park Strunjan” proposed by Slovenia for inclusion in the SPAMI List Annex IV: Presentation report of the “Cetaceans Migration Corridor in the Mediterranean” proposed by Spain for inclusion in the SPAMI List UNEP/MED WG.461/17 Page 2 Draft Proposals of areas for inclusion in the List of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI List) 1. During the biennial period 2018-2019 and prior to the Fourteenth meeting of SPA/BD Thematic Focal Points, France, Italy, Slovenia and Spain have submitted to the SPA/RAC Secretariat proposals for inclusion in the SPAMI List. These proposals are the “Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve” by France, “Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area” by Italy, “Landscape Park Strunjan” by Slovenia and the “Cetaceans migration corridor in the Mediterranean” by Spain. 2. The executive summaries of the four presentation reports of the areas proposed for inclusion in the SPAMI List are presented here after, whereas the full reports are annexed in their original version (French for the “Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve” (Annex I), and English for the “Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area” (Annex II), “Landscape Park Strunjan” (Annex III) and “Cetaceans migration corridor in the Mediterranean” (Annex IV)). 3. It should be noted that the “Cetaceans migration corridor in the Mediterranean” proposal was submitted to the Thirteenth Meeting of Focal Points for Specially Protected Areas (Alexandria, Egypt, 9-12 May 2017). “While most of the participants [to the 13th meeting of the SPA/BD Focal Points] recognised and confirmed the regional value of the area and the sound scientific basis provided in the presentation report, several delegates, referring to paragraph 2, section C (Legal status) of Annex I to the SPA/BD Protocol, noted that the area does not fulfil some of the required criteria and particularly a protected status recognised at national level. [..] The meeting encouraged Spain to submit it to the next MAP focal points meeting once it is confirmed as MPA at national level. It requested that the Secretariat prepare an analysis of the legal status of the candidate SPAMI in relation to paragraph 2, section C (Legal status) of Annex I to the SPA/BD Protocol and other eligibility elements in the report proposal.”1 4. Eventually, the 20th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, COP 20, (Tirana, Albania, 17-20 December 2017) has welcomed the proposal by Spain and recognized the regional value of the Cetaceans Migration Corridor and the sound scientific basis provided for the inclusion of this area in the SPAMI List, and encouraged Spain to finalize the procedures at the national level to award to the area the status of marine protected area in line with the SPA/BD Protocol in order to formalize at the twenty-first Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP 21) its final inclusion in the SPAMI List. 5. Following the issuance of the Royal Decree 699/2018 of 29 June 2018, declaring the ‘Cetaceans Migration Corridor in the Mediterranean’ as a Marine Protected Area by Spain, an updated version of the presentation report of “Cetaceans migration corridor in the Mediterranean” (appearing in Annex IV to the present document) was prepared by Spain and submitted here for review by the Fourteenth Meeting of SPA/BD Thematic Focal Points. I. Executive summary of the “Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve” presentation report 6. The genesis of the creation of the Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve goes back to 1969, when the mayor of Cerbère, worried about the degradation of this part of the Côte Vermeille by the influx of the tourist phenomenon and the increase of the fishing effort, began to study with the collaboration of the laboratory Arago de Banyuls-sur-Mer, the possibility of setting aside a part of the rocky coast. 7. In 1971, the Arago laboratory presented a "scientific report justifying the creation of an underwater biological reserve" which concluded on the need to protect certain particularly endangered species. The first French marine reserve was officially created on February 26, 1974 by an interministerial decree. Since 1977, its management is entrusted to the Department of Pyrénées- 1 http://www.rac-spa.org/nfp13/documents/01_working_documents/wg_431_15_nfp_meeting_report_eng.pdf UNEP/MED WG.461/17 Page 3 Orientales. It is located in the western part of the Gulf of Lion, along the rocky coast of the Pyrénées- Orientales. 8. It is located 35 km south of Perpignan and 2 km north of the border with Spain. It stretches along the coast of the communes of Banyuls-sur-mer and Cerbère. The total area of the Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve is 650 hectares. It stretches 7 km of coast and extends 2 km towards the sea. It has two levels of protection: a protected area corresponding to the largest area of the space is nearly 600 hectares where certain human activities are regulated and a protected area of 65 hectares where all human activities are prohibited. 9. The marine reserve benefits from a 5-year management plan (its third). Five daily missions are carried out by the agents of the marine reserve: 10. Site monitoring: To ensure this mission, 2 boats and 1 4x4 vehicle are available to sworn officers. About 1200 hours of monitoring are conducted throughout the year by the agents of the reserve including 600 hours for the summer season. This presence, modeled according to the attendance of the area, is intended to inform, to raise awareness but also to identify offenses on the reserve. 11. Observations and scientific monitoring: 1200 animal species and 500 plant species were observed in the reserve. Of these species, 49 have protection status under a national or international regulatory text such as posidonia, red coral, brown grouper and noble pen shell. On average, 12 studies are carried out regularly each year in the marine reserve (monitoring of temperature and water quality, monitoring of site visits, monitoring of red coral, monitoring of fish stands or ecological monitoring of gorgonians and filamentous algae). 12. These studies are necessary to improve knowledge of the marine environment and take all measures to maintain in a perfect state of conservation this fragile environment. Counts are performed on target species such as grouper. More than 600 individuals were counted in the reserve during the last count in 2017. At its creation, only about ten individuals were present in this zone. 13. Management of human activity: The efforts made by the Department of Pyrénées-Orientales have made this site a place where different activities coexist in respect of the environment. 14. More than 30000 individual and supervised divers by diving structures go to the reserve to discover the beauty of its seabed. A partnership with diving structures has been set up leading to the signature of a marine conservation charter each year. In continuity, 29 ecological docking devices have been installed by the Department in the reserve since 2001. They allow divers and boaters to benefit from an anchorage to moor their boats safely and in respect of the environment. 15. This implementation is part of the seabed preservation policy and aims to eliminate the destructive impact of anchors on the seabed. The maintenance of fishing activity called "small trades" is also an objective set by the reserve. 15 "small trades" fishermen are allowed to practice their activity in the zone (outside the reinforced protection zone). Recreational fishermen are also present on the reserve. This activity can attract each year a maximum of 1000 fishermen with a fishing authorization presenting the specific regulation of the zone (outside zone of