Background information
13 key Mediterranean marine areas in need of protection
The Mediterranean gap analysis
A brand new tool for identifying the emergency
The Mediterranean region has been identified by WWF as one of the most important marine regions in the
world for its outstanding biodiversity features and for this reason its preservation is of paramount
importance. Moreover the region is subjected to a very high level of human pressure and therefore it needs to
be protected with extreme urgency.
A brand new tool has been developed by WWF to support its conservation effort: the Mediterranean Marine
Gap-Analysis.
The Mediterranean Marine Gap-Analysis aims at providing an overview of marine and coastal features
throughout the entire Mediterranean Basin, seeking to identify the most important unprotected coastal
marine areas in the region. The so-called “gaps” should be filled through the establishment of new reserves
and changes in coastal management practices.
A pan-Mediterranean vision
Never before has such a study been developed on a pan-Mediterranean level, capable of supporting the
development of a conservation and management strategy for the most important Mediterranean areas.
For the first time, a statistical analysis of the sea-bed has been applied to marine environment conservation.
This has enabled the implementation of an homogeneous method of research across the entire Mediterranean
basin, thus overcoming the lack of sound biological data. This new tool gives a clear picture of the
Mediterranean Basin as a whole.
An innovative methodology
- highlighting biodiversity
In order to overcome the problem of the lack of homogeneity of the biological data coming from the
different areas of the Mediterranean, a new methodology has been developed.
Starting from the scientific consideration that rich biodiversity is most likely to occur where the sea-bed
presents high spatial heterogeneity, two different statistical approaches have been used to analyse the
“indentation” of the coasts and the “roughness” of the sea-bottom, enabling the visualisation of those areas
where chances of finding higher levels of biodiversity are greater within a depth range of 0 to 250 m (about
80% of marine biodiversity can be found within this range).
- overlapping biological and human parameters
This new information has been added to the existing data on the presence of flag-ship species like the monk
seal, marine turtles, several species of whales and dolphins and the sea grass Posidonia oceanica. In
addition, the main coastal pollution "hot spots" of the Mediterranean, recently identified by UNEP-MAP,
have been included. The human impact on the coast has also been mapped, taking into consideration main
harbours and coastal cities with more than 50.000 inhabitants.
Through the overlapping of the above-mentioned layers of data, all the most significant Mediterranean sea
and coastal areas in need of urgent protection have thus been identified.
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The 13 emergencies in the Mediterranean Sea
By analysing on the one hand, the areas with a high level of biodiversity, in terms of concentration and
continuity, the significant presence of flag-ship species (and their habitat) and a pronounced fish species
diversity - and, on the other, the presence of important threats from human pressure, a total of 13 areas have
been identified. These 13 areas are in need of urgent protection or improved management.
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- 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 and Anatolia coast (Greece, Turkey)
- Cilician coast (Turkey) and Cyprus Island coast
- Cyrenaica (Libya)
- Gulf of Sirte (Libya)
- Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia)
- Algero-Tunisian coast (Algeria, Tunisia)
What do the results show?
A high and wide presence of biodiversity
Besides having been the cradle of European civilisation and having provided resources to many civilisations
throughout the centuries, the Mediterranean Sea is not only a cultural heritage, but it still hosts a very
significant level of biodiversity.
It is well known that the Mediterranean comes second only to tropical sea areas, in terms of biodiversity;
what comes as a surprise is that extensive biodiversity is distributed in lots of different areas throughout the
Mediterranean and is not concentrated in one place only, as is the case of the coral reefs in the tropics.
The most pristine and the most threatened
Of the areas identified, those where the coastal impact from industries, ports and cities can be considered low
or very low, are to be found in Libya and in the Aegean Sea. While the areas most threatened by human
impact are in France, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Turkey.
Nonetheless, some very important areas for biodiversity still exist close to places where the human pressure
along the coast is very high.
Due to the lower human pressure in North Africa several marine species enjoy more natural habitats there
than along the northern Mediterranean coast.
- Paradises
What comes as a surprise is the fact that some coastal and marine areas are still in a good natural state, are of
a considerable size and face a low level of threat. They host, in addition to endemic marine fauna and flora,
endangered flag-ship species like the monk seal, sea turtles and cetaceans. This is the case, for example, of
the Gulf of Sirte and the coast of Cyrenaica in Libya, blessed with one of the major loggerhead sea turtle
nesting colonies, and the Cilician coast in Turkey, where the monk seals still reproduce and the pressure
from coastal settlements is still low.
- Lost areas
On the other hand, several coastal and marine areas can be considered “lost” in terms of poor marine
biodiversity, the virtual disappearance of flag-ship species and the presence of heavy human activity on the
coast. These areas are concentrated along the Italian Adriatic coast, the coast between Syria and the mouth
of the Nile, the coast which links the mouth of the Rhône in France to Spain and on the Spanish coast
from Barcelona to Valence.
Unfortunately, it has to be said, virtually no important biological area is completely free from some degree of
degradation or threats.
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The major threats
It is evident that the major threat to biodiversity in these 13 areas is the extensive land use by civil, industrial
and tourist settlements. This is causing the destruction of some of the most important and unique natural
coastal Mediterranean habitats (sand dunes, beaches, lagoons, maquis, etc.).Consequently, there are negative
repercussions on the nearby marine areas.
From a marine perspective we have 2 main threats, which are very common to all 13 areas: pollution from
land based sources and over-fishing.
As far as pollution is concerned, the main threats are from organo clorinated compounds found in
fertilisers and pesticides used in agriculture. In addition to this, particularly in enclosed bays or gulfs,
besides industrial pollution, the situation is heavily worsened by untreated sewage discharges.
As for fishing, the most important impact on marine coastal ecosystems is from bottom trawlers. In addition
to the problem of over-fishing, bottom trawlers are fishing too close to the shore and in shallow waters,
where the most important nursery grounds for commercial and non-commercial species are to be found. This
prevents many species from reaching the reproductive size and consequently inhibits the replenishment of
fish stocks. Furthermore, the Posidonia oceanica meadows, a favourite sheltering ground for the nests and
the young of countless species, are often completely extirpated from the substratum by the bottom trawlers.
The key areas for species
As far as the presence and the concentration of flag-ship species is concerned, two main areas stand out
clearly on the map.
The Aegean Sea/Anatolia coast, and the Sardo-Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin. The latter is the only place
in the Mediterranean where several species of cetaceans, including fin whales, gather in summer time to
feed. The Aegean Sea/Anatolia coast is the last remaining large marine area to host a significant number of
monk seals and sea turtle nesting beaches. It also houses one the most continuous Posidonia oceanica
meadows.
It has to be noted however, that, according to recent surveys carried out by WWF, UNEP-MAP and Libyan
researchers, the Libyan coast (Cyrenaica and Gulf of Sirte) has been identified as one of the most important
areas of the Mediterranean in terms of numbers of loggerhead sea turtle nests.
Some statistical results
5% of the total seabeds comprised between 0 and 250 meters of depth constitute potentially important areas
for biodiversity. Half of these areas are facing heavily polluted zones on the coast.
14% of the Mediterranean coast is seriously damaged.
Only 0,78% of the Mediterranean coast is currently protected.
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WWF Objective and Strategy
The overall objective of WWF is to ensure the protection and sustainable management of at least 10% of
the total surface of the identified areas of exceptional biodiversity over the next 10 years, at a rate of 1%
every year.
Protection as a key tool
The best tool is protection. There are many levels of protection: from simple management to complete
banning (tourism diving, fishing, maritime traffic), but also the creation of no-fishing zones, the protection of
some species, or protection of the coastlines.
Today, less than one percent of the Mediterranean coast is protected and in most cases these areas are only
protected “on paper”: lacking management plans, effective monitoring, adequate structures and even
essential legal tools.
WWF urges for an efficient and strategic protection of the Mediterranean Sea, at least in the 13 key areas.
If WWF is successful with this approach a substantial part of the biodiversity of the Mediterranean marine
ecoregion will thereby be preserved. The creation of a network of well managed Marine Protected Areas will
then be an excellent tool for disseminating positive experiences around the region.
WWF projects
As for the 13 selected most relevant areas, WWF has on-going projects or is planning conservation activities
in 10 of them. Within these larger designated areas some projects have been initiated on smaller, more
manageable sites where the chances of success, in terms of protection, are greater. These sites have been
designed as initiatives to be repeated in other locations.
The guiding principle for choosing these smaller sites within the larger areas is again the higher level of
biodiversity and biological importance, and the higher level of threats. So, the richer a coastal marine site is
in biodiversity and natural features, the more it is threatened by human pressure, and the higher up it is on
the WWF list of priority action.
The following sites have been selected for direct intervention by WWF:
Alboran Sea
1 - Al Hoceima (Morocco)  protection and sustainable management
2 - Chafarinas Isalnds (Spain)  inclusion in NATURA 2000
Balearic Islands
3 – North-eastern Mallorca (Spain)  protection and sust. management
Liguro-Provençal coast &
Corso-Sardinian coast
4 - Whale Sanctuary (Italy, France, Monaco)  management plan in place
Corso-Sardinian coast
5 - Gulf of Orosei (Italy)  protection of marine areas
Southern Tyrrhenian coast
6 - Coast of Cilento (Italy)  extended protection to marine areas
7 - Western Sicily (Italy)  protection of marine areas
Dalmatian coast
8 - Pelagic Islands (Croatia)  creation of Pelagic islands protected area
Eastern Ionian coast
and islands
9 - Zakyntos (Greece)  implementation of management plan
Aegean Sea and Anatolia
coast
10 - Foça/Karaburun (Turkey)  extended protection to monk seal areas
11 - Kastellorizo island (Greece)  creation of no-fishing zones
12 - Cirali coast (Turkey)  extended protection and sustainable tourism
Cilician coast & Cyprus
Island coast
13 - Bozyazi (Turkey)  extended protection to monk seal areas
14 - Akyatan/Yumurtalik (Turkey)  protected marine turtle habitats
Algero-Tunisian coast
15- Cap Serrat, Cap Negro (Tunisia)  marine protection & sustainable
development
WWF’s strategy in the selected areas will include policy, advocacy and communications work as well as , in
some cases, field actions with strong involvement of local communities, strengthening local environmental
groups.
See the annexes for full details concerning each site.
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A pan-Mediterranean action
Besides the fieldwork, WWF will continue its effort, on a pan-Mediterranean level, to address the main
threats from human activities affecting the entire basin.
Urgent measures for fisheries
At present, 22 Mediterranean countries, plus several non-Mediterranean states, are fishing the same natural
resources. In international waters - 12 miles from the shore: 80% of the basin constitute international waters the situation aggravated by the presence of Asian fishing fleets - mainly Japanese and South Korean –
catching red tuna, due to its high price and heavy demand on the Tokyo market. Signs of stock decline are
evident for both commercial pelagic and coastal fish species. The decline will continue until all fishing
countries follow the same management rules. WWF objective is to contribute to the implementation of a
common fisheries regime for all fishing nations in the Mediterranean. Crucial urgent measures for
implementation will include: total bans on all destructive fishing equipment, like the pelagic drift-nets;
reduction of the overall fishing effort; enforcement of existing national and international legislation,
particularly on minimum fish size, on mesh size and on access to coastal waters; monitoring and control of
fishing operations by satellite; creation of "no-fish-zones" and/or "harvest refugia" to start repopulating fish
stocks and to conserve biodiversity.
International legislation on pollution
The foremost objective is to ensure that the measures agreed in international conventions (Barcelona
Convention, IMO, Biodiversity, MCSD, etc.), are indeed endorsed by all Mediterranean countries:
- First of all, the complete phasing out, by the year 2005, of all the most dangerous chemical compounds
POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants, also known as the “dirty dozen”) which include substances with
endocrine disrupting capacity and therefore terribly harmful to marine organisms and human life.
- Secondly, the creation of PSSA (Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas) starting from the North Adriatic and
the Strait of Bonifacio, to reduce the risk of oil spills at sea in these very sensitive areas.
- Thirdly, the treatment of all sewage waters of all coastal settlements.
- Finally, the implementation of the prohibition of oil tankers cleaning in the open sea.
Tourism: no construction in key areas
Tourism is becoming a real threat to biodiversity and this is particularly true of the Mediterranean coastline,
where tourism infrastructures are spreading like mushrooms and without control.
WWF main goal is to ban new construction and limit the impact of tourism infrastructures in all areas
considered important for coastal and marine biodiversity, with particular regard to the 13 emergency
areas.
At the same time, the objective is to reduce the impact of mass tourism in the existing developed sites and
in the possible new ones through all the existing available tools, like energy saving, water saving, clean
transportation, etc.
This will be obtained through policy, advocacy and communications work targeting tourists, private sector
and governments; but also with focused field activities in Tunisia and Turkey, where an attempt will be made
to introduce a model of responsible tourism in areas that are being newly opened to tourism development or
that have already been developed, but which still host important natural features.
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The Mediterranean: an assessment
A unique heritage
One of the oldest cradles of culture, the crossroads of three continents; the Mediterranean has witnessed the
rise and fall of many of the most important civilisations. For thousands of years, human presence has left the
footprint upon its countless islands and along its 46,000 km of coasts, shaping its environment.
Nevertheless, Mediterranean waters still teem with life, making this basin one of the most biologically
significant regions on Earth.
The Mediterranean sea is the region with the highest percentage of endemic species - species living only
in this part of the world - second only to the tropical seas: 20% of the Mediterranean marine species can
only be found in this basin.
Very endangered species dwell in its waters: the monk seal, the loggerhead and the green turtle and
several species of Cetaceans.
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The monk seal (Monachus monachus), with a population of 150 - 250 individuals remaining in the whole
basin, mainly in the Ionian and Aegean seas, along the southern Turkish coast, and some small groups in
Morocco, Algeria and Libya.
The Loggerhead marine turtle (Caretta caretta), with one population living and nesting in the eastern
part of the basin (mainly in Greece, Libya, Turkey and Cyprus).
The Green marine turtle (Chelonia mydas) with a much smaller Mediterranean population and limited to
the eastern part of Turkey and Cyprus.
The populations of all these species are declining at an alarming rate as a result of human pressure, reduced
habitats, fishery by-catch, and occasional deliberate killings.
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Cetaceans, represented by the seven most common species - striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba),
common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Risso's dolphin
(Grampus griseus), pilot whale (Globicephala melas), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), sperm whale
(Physeter macrocephalus) - and some other rarer species. During the summer, many individuals between 25,000 and 45,000 striped dolphins and about 2,000 fin whales - tend to gather in the Ligurian
sea, mainly for feeding.
Unfortunately, cetaceans are victims to several threats: pollution from land-based sources acting as
immunodepressants or as endocrine disrupters; human activities such as offshore racing; marine traffic;
drift-net fisheries; uncontrolled whale-watching.
- Finally, large areas of the endemic sea-grass Posidonia oceanica play a crucial role in acting as a buffer to
coastal erosion caused by currents and waves and as a shelter for about 400 species of algae and 600 species
of animals reproducing and sheltering in its meadows.
The Posidonia oceanica is threatened by pollution, bottom trawlers and anchorage.
Increasing human pressure
The existence of many species, habitats and entire ecosystems of this unique natural heritage are today under
threat from various sources. Most of them are the effects of human impact, which has become stronger and
stronger over the past two centuries: urbanisation, ever-growing tourism development, pollution deriving
from waste waters and oil spills, over fishing, etc.
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Urbanisation and tourism
The human pressure is constantly increasing, with major consequences on coastlines: nowadays 150 million
people live on the coast, with 90 million people living in coastal towns and producing 3.8 billion cubic
metres wastewater each year, while a further 2.5 million cubic metres wastewater is produced by the 150
million tourists visiting the Mediterranean region every year.
According to the forecasts released by The Blue Plan (UNEP-MAP), by the year 2025, 217 million people
will live on the coasts, 170 of which in towns, producing 5.9 billion cubic metres wastewater each year,
while the number of tourists will raise to 350 million, producing 6.5 million cubic metres wastewater.
80% of the sewage produced by urban settlements is discharged in the Mediterranean Sea without being
treated.
Tankers traffic
Every year, 200.000 ships cross the Mediterranean. This is one of the heaviest areas of tanker traffic in the
world. As a result of this, 600.000 tonnes of crude oil per year are spilled into the sea, mainly the result of
illegal tank cleaning. A further 300.000 tonnes of oil are spilled accidentally.
Over-fishing
Even if it is difficult to have precise data due to the lack of detailed information from southern
Mediterranean countries, rough estimates suggest that each year between 1 and 2 million tonnes of fish are
landed.
In recent years the EU and other financing bodies provided funds for the strengthening of the fishing fleets,
both in terms of number, size and power of boats. This has lead to the overexploitation of several
commercial stocks and to a drop in population size of many non-commercial species. The need is urgent to
further reduce the size of the fleets and to restrict their power. Incentives to reduce the number of licences
should be encouraged as well.
The fishing of undersized specimen due to the use of illegal equipment is widespread. This is particularly
the case of bottom trawlers which, in many Mediterranean countries, tend to use nets with smaller mesh size
than is authorised, thus preventing the smaller fish from getting caught.. Moreover, there is a lack of
common legislation/rules for the entire basin, which allow many boats to change flag and continue using
equipment forbidden in EU waters.
At the same time, existing laws around the basin to limit or forbid the access of fishing boats to coastal areas
or specific no-fish-zones, are far too weakly enforced. In this way commercial fishing boats manage to put
pressure on nursery grounds for important commercial species, and to deplete the stocks targeted by smallscale fisheries.
In recent years particular interest has grown for some valuable marine species such as blue-fin tunas and
swordfish. Although these species are officially managed under specific international agreements, the
management directives are not strictly enforced, and the size and the stocks of these fish are drastically
decreasing: 83% of all blue-fin tuna and swordfish caught in the Mediterranean sea is undersized.
Unfortunately, lobbies are very strong in this field, and the presence of the Japanese fleet in the
Mediterranean renders the agreements very weak.
Heavy impact on the stocks is also caused by some fishing equipment like drift-nets (with a length
between 5 and 40 km) which are responsible for the accidental death of thousands of cetaceans, and longlines (fishing lines with thousands of hooks, up to 250 Km in length) which are “by-catching” thousands of
marine turtles every year.
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