World Wild Life Fund warns over major environment hazards in the mediterranean
Regional, Environment, 9/15/2000

International conservationist organization, World Wild Life Fund (WWF), warned over "major ecological risks" in several Mediterranean countries and called for the European Union's contribution to avert an environment crisis in the region.

The WWF held in Brussels a press conference on Wednesday, few days before a meeting of EU foreign ministers to debate the MEDA II programs, the major financial tool of Euro-Mediterranean partnership.

The organization says the EU should tie its MEDA II programs to the respect of environmental norms.

It identified nine Mediterranean zones which could be facing major environmental hazards if measures are not taken.

The Mediterranean natural resources are suffering significant pressures, says the WWF which called EU foreign minister to make of sustainable development a clear objective of MEDA II.

Morocco, the WWF said, is among the countries facing ecological risks as its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts are sustaining "excessive fishing," its water resources are suffering over-exploitation and its soil is facing up degradation.

Last July, the organization released results of a 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.

Previous Stories:
  WWF Identifies 13 Endangered Areas in the Mediterranean   (7/14/2000)
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