Regional activities to protect the marine environment and
coastal region of the Mediterranean Sea
UNEP / Mediterranean Action Plan
Michael O. Angelidis
UNEP/MAP – MED POL
Marine Strategy 2012, Copenhagen, 14-16 May 2012
Barcelona Convention and Protocols
Convention/Protocol
Adopted
In force
Convention for the protection of the marine environment and the
coastal region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention)
1976
Amended 1995
2004
Protocol for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution
from land-based sources and activities (LBS Protocol)
1980
Amended 1996
2008
Protocol concerning specially protected areas and biological diversity
in the Mediterranean
1995
1999
Protocol for the prevention and elimination of pollution of the
Mediterranean Sea from ships and aircrafts or incineration at sea
1976
1995
Protocol for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution
resulting from the exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf
and the seabed and its subsoil (Offshore Protocol)
1994
2011
Protocol on the prevention of pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by
transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal
1996
2008
Protocol concerning the cooperation in preventing pollution from
ships and, in case of emergency, combating pollution of the
Mediterranean Sea
2002
2004
Protocol of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean
2008
2011
Structure of MAP Secretariat
 Coordination Unit (Athens, Greece)
 MED POL - Programme for the assessment and control of pollution in the
Mediterranean Region (Athens, Greece)
Regional Activity Centres (RACs)
 REMPEC - Regional marine pollution emergency response centre for the
Mediterranean (Malta)
 BP/RAC - Blue Plan Regional Activity Centre (Sophia Antipolis, France)
 PAP/RAC – Priority actions programme Regional Activity Centre (Split,
Croatia)
 SPA/RAC – Specially protected areas Regional Activity Centre (Tunis,
Tunisia)
 INFO/RAC Information Regional Activity Centre (Rome, Italy)
 CP/RAC – Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production (Barcelona,
Spain)
Ecosystem Approach - ECAP
 Decision IG 17/6 in Annex II (15th Meeting of the CoP Barcelona
Convention, Almeria, Spain, 2008)
“to progressively apply the ecosystem approach to the management of
human activities that may affect the Mediterranean marine and coastal
environment”
 the Ecosystem Approach is the overarching principle of MAP’s 5 years
strategy
Road map - steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Definition of an ecological Vision for the Mediterranean.
Setting of common Mediterranean strategic goals
Identification of important ecosystem properties and
assessment of ecological status and pressures
Development of a set of ecological objectives corresponding
to the Vision and strategic goals
Derivation of operational objectives with indicators and target
levels
Revision of existing monitoring programmes for on-going
assessment and regular updating of targets
Development and review of relevant action plans and
programmes
Vision and Strategic goals
Vision:
“A healthy Mediterranean with marine and coastal ecosystems that are
productive and biologically diverse for the benefit of present and future
generations”.
Strategic goals:
 To protect, allow recovery and, where practicable, restore the structure and
function of marine and coastal ecosystems thus also protecting
biodiversity, in order to achieve and maintain good ecological status and
allow for their sustainable use.
 To reduce pollution in the marine and coastal environment so as to
minimize impacts on and risks to human and/or ecosystem health and/or
uses of the sea and the coasts.
 To prevent, reduce and manage the vulnerability of the sea and the coasts
to risk induced by human activities and natural events
UNEP/MAP –ECAP vs EU MSFD
Common steps
 Prepare an Initial Assessment
 Decide on Ecological Objectives (vs Descriptors MSFD)
 Decide on Operational Objectives and Indicators (vs Criteria and




indicators MSFD)
Determination of Good Environmental Status
Setting of Environmental Targets
Development of Integrated Monitoring programmes
Development of Programmes and Measures
Initial assessment
geographical division in 4 sub-regions
Adriatic
Sea
Western
Mediterranean
Central
Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean
MED POL monitoring stations
sediments
biota (MG & MB)
More than 400 Stations
34,700 observations
Median values of metals (µg g-1 dw)
in sediments
Median values of metals (µg g-1 dw)
in Mytilus galloprovincialis
Median values of Aldrine, Dieldrine, Lindane and DDTs
(ng g-1 dw) in Mytilus galloprovinciallis
Western Mediterranean
 High level of industrialization leads to localized pollution
 Coastal development. Habitat loss and alteration. Degradation of coasts
and near shore waters, especially on the northern coasts
 Tourism drives much of the coastal development and pressure on
resources including freshwater and fisheries
 In the southern coast, population growth along the coast has led to
degradation from sewage inputs and run-off
 Maritime industries, including shipping, energy development, and
aquaculture also degrade the environment and impact biodiversity, causing
localized pollution as well as broader impacts on the delivery of ecosystem
services
But
 Data availability due to systematic monitoring and surveys, mainly in the
Northern part
Central Mediterranean - Ionian
 Less coastal development than other Mediterranean regions
 Urbanization pressure in some localized areas
 Fishing is a primary pressure on species and ecosystems (overexploitation, by-catch, destructive fishing methods such as bottom
trawling, destructive removal of deep corals)
 Shipping pressures are concentrated in the straits between the African
continent and the southern Sicilian coast
 Nutrient over-enrichment from sewage and run-off in the southeastern part
of the sub-region (risk of hypoxia)
Adriatic Sea
 Eutrophication is a major issue because of nutrients imbalance leading to
algal blooms, mucilage and hypoxia because:
 Semi-enclosed and shallow sea within a semi-enclosed sea (limited flushing)
 Agricultural inputs mainly at its western coast
 Urbanization mainly along its western coast
 Municipal run-off and inadequately treated sewage
 Industrial pollution localized
 Invasive species
 Fisheries over-exploitation, especially in the northern reaches of the
central Adriatic.
Eastern Mediterranean
The coastline and bottom topography highly varied, as are the human uses of
coasts and seas
 Invasive species and climate change are the top issues of concern
 Tourism drives much of the coastal development and pressure on
resources including freshwater and fisheries
 Municipal effluents (untreated) lower water quality and may cause hypoxia
 Run-off from urban/industrial centres (localized)
 Overfishing (coastal communities depend on marine resources)
 Maritime industries (aquaculture, desalination) are expanding
Ecological Objectives (1)
1. Biological diversity is maintained or enhanced. The quality and
occurrence of coastal habitats and the distribution and abundance of
coastal and marine species are in line with prevailing physiographic,
geographic and climatic conditions
2. Non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels
that do not adversely affect the ecosystem
3. Population of selected commercially exploited fish and shellfish are
within biologically safe limits, exhibiting a population age and size
distribution that is indicative of a healthy stock
4. Alterations to the components of marine food webs caused by resource
extraction or human-induced environmental
changes do not have a long-term adverse
effects on food web dynamics and related
viability
Ecological Objectives (2)
5. Human-induced eutrophication is prevented, especially adverse effects
thereof, such as losses of biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, harmful
algal blooms and oxygen deficiency in bottom waters
6. Sea-floor integrity is maintained, especially in priority benthic habitats
7. Alteration of hydrographic conditions does not affect coastal and marine
ecosystems
8. The natural dynamics of coastal areas are maintained and coastal
ecosystems and landscapes are preserved
9. Contaminants cause no significant impact on coastal and marine
ecosystems and human health
10. Marine and coastal litter do not adversely affect coastal and marine
environment
11. Noise form human activities cause
no significant impact on marine and
coastal ecosystems
Next steps ECAP
• Establishment of GES for different Ecological Objectives
• Definition of threshold values (boundaries) to asses achievement of GES
• Setting of targets for a specific status (on EO, OO or criteria level) of the
marine environment
• Develop an integrated monitoring programme in line with the Eos, OOs
• Assess National capacities (institutional, technical) for the implementation
of the integrated monitoring programme and draft a capacity building
programme
• Evaluate the associated cost for the implementation of the integrated MAP
monitoring programme
• Standardize reporting for the integrated monitoring programme
• Establish information flow (data, information) between countries to be
developed in line with EU SEIS principles
• Establish synergies with International (CBD, GFCM) and regional (MSFD)
initiatives for the application of ECAP in the Mediterranean
Thank you