WWF Identifies 13 Endangered Areas in the Mediterranean
Regional, Environment, 7/14/2000

The conservation organization, World Wild Life Fund (WWF), released on Thursday results of a new study highlighting the 13 most important areas in need of protection in the Mediterranean sea, and urged governments to commit to the protection and sustainable management of at least 10% of the surface of marine and coastal areas in the region over the next 10 years.

According to the WWF study, "Mediterranean Marine Gap Analysis," the three major threats to the Mediterranean sea as a whole, and in particular these 13 important sites, are uncontrolled coastal construction, pollution from industries and intensive agriculture and oil spills, and over-fishing.

The 13 areas identified for urgent protection are: Alboran sea (Spain, Morocco, Algeria); Balearic Islands (Spain); Liguro-Provençal coast (France, Italy, Monaco); Corso-Sardinian coast (France, Italy); Southern Tyrrhenian coast (Italy); Dalmatian coast (Croatia); Eastern Ionian coast and islands (Albania, Greece); Aegean sea (Greece, Turkey) and Anatolya coast (Turkey); Cilician coast (Turkey) and Cyprus Island coast; Cyrenaica (Lybia); Gulf of Sirte (Libya); Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia); Algero-Tunisian coast (Algeria, Tunisia). Within these areas, WWF has selected sites of smaller size for focusing its conservation efforts. Those sites are located in: Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.

The organization called governments to ensure the protection and efficient management of these sites and recommended the ban of coastal trawling from 0 to 50 m of depth (where 80 % of marine biodiversity is found) throughout the Mediterranean and of coastal construction in any of these 13 areas be prohibited. It also called for enforcement of international pollution legislation across the board in the Mediterranean.

"The Mediterranean, the oldest cradle of European civilization, is also the region with the highest number of endemic species in the world, after tropical regions. These 13 areas should be absolutely protected if we want to save the Mediterranean's unique heritage," said Paolo Guglielmi, Marine Officer, WWF Mediterranean Program Office.

The study shows that 14% of the Mediterranean coast is already heavily damaged - some areas are so degraded that they can be classified as "lost." They include the Italian Adriatic coast, the coast between Syria and the mouth of the Nile, the coast which links the mouth of the Rhone in France to Spain, and the Spanish coast from Barcelona to Valence. Currently less than one percent of the coastal Mediterranean sea is protected. The most pristine of the sites highlighted by the study are the Sirte and Cirenaic coasts in Libya, the Aegean sea, and Turkey's Cilician coast. However, all could easily join the ranks of the "lost" unless proper protective measures are taken. The study also concluded that there are three major areas of importance for threatened species: the Aegean sea and the Turkish Mediterranean coast for monk seals and sea turtles, and the Sardo-Corso-Liguro-Provencal Basin for dolphins and whales. This is the first time that the WWF uses the same method used usually for land in the past.

"This tool will be a key instrument for the future work of institutional bodies to drive Mediterranean nations to increase the protection of their coasts." said Lucien Chabason, Coordinator of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

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