Tunisia-Mediterranean: A Tunisian delegation participates, in Monaco, in the Forum of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean
A Tunisian delegation is participating, from December 28 to 1, 2021, in the 3rd Forum of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean, which is held in hybrid form (face-to-face and online), in Monaco.
Nearly 300 participants gather at this event which will aim to set the objectives and priority actions for MPAs during the post-2020 period, according to the MedPAN association, organizer of the Forum.
It is also an opportunity for networking and sharing of experiences within the MPA community to finalize the content of the post-2020 roadmap for these areas which are very important for marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean.
One of the objectives is to ensure that 30% of the Mediterranean is effectively protected by 2030, it was stressed. A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is indeed a coastal and / or marine geographic space defined, recognized, dedicated and managed, by any effective means, legal or otherwise, in order to ensure long-term conservation of nature as well as ecosystem services and associated cultural values.
-Advertising-
Indeed, the process of developing this roadmap began at the end of 2020, through online consultations with the wider community of MPAs, including managers, political decision-makers, scientists, economic actors, organizations. regional and international organizations, NGOs and donors from all Mediterranean countries and beyond.
The document in question is consistent with international commitments, and in particular the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) currently being finalized.
The ambition is to set up an evolving and regularly evaluated master plan that elicits the support of all the actors to be involved in order to implement its recommendations.
Previous editions of the Forum have already taken place. In 2012 in Antalya in Turkey, where the first roadmap was drawn up, and in 2016 in Tangier in Morocco, where the roadmap for Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas was assessed and updated to stimulate implementation to 2020 of the CBD Aichi Target 11 / Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
Tunisia has, according to MedPAN, a large number of protected or extended areas with a marine component (18 sites), the vast majority of which are Ramsar sites (15 sites). 4 sites are in the process of being created as AMCP (Marine and Coastal Protected Areas).