Pilot Projects

Five pilot projects, featuring existing or about- to-be-created MPAs, are being implemented to showcase solutions to some of the main problems affecting MPAs in the south and east of the Mediterranean.

Mediterranean MPAs face many challenges:

• Less than half of them claim to have a management plan, and only one third have staff present in the field.
• Most existing MPAs face problems of compliance, with shortage of equipment and funding to meet the most basic protection needs.
• Community participation in MPA management and the sharing of MPA benefits between stakeholders are still exceptional practices.
• Education and awareness-raising activities are scarce and only a quarter of MPAs monitor visitors and tourists.
• Institutional coordination is weak with overlapping roles between land, marine, local or national authorities.
• Overall there is an urgent need to upgrade the priority level of MPAs in national policies.

The pilot projects of the MedPAN South Project have been designed to address these urgent needs.

Pilot projects achievements highlights

• Inter-sectoral committees (Steering Committees) established at national and/or local level in Algeria, Croatia, Tunisia, and Turkey to assist in project implementation and ensure institutional support for field activities and the long-term success of target MPAs. Committees include representatives of all authorities that have a direct or indirect role in the management of the selected MPA
• Local stakeholders’ involvement in the activities of the pilot projects ensured through regular consultation workshops, informal meetings, media communication and international field visits
• So far more than 200 people from the five pilot projects have taken part in training courses on MPA design and management planning

Zoom on

Algeria: Staff of the Taza National Park (north-eastern region of Algeria) have launched a fully participatory process to develop the management plan of the marine area adjacent to the Park involving all local stakeholders as well as the other two coastal national parks and all necessary national authorities.

Croatia: All five existing Croatian MPAs have embarked on the coordinated development of their management plans towards a standardisation of the MPA management planning process in Croatia, while enhancing collaboration between MPA staff, relevant administrations, stakeholders and NGOs.

Libya: Ain Al-Ghazalah Gulf (northeastern Libya) was identified as a priority marine and coastal area for protection and in January 2011 was officially declared an MPA. Baseline studies were completed and a detailed work plan was developed to build local capacity and ensure adequate preparation for the effective management of the new Libyan MPA.

Tunisia: The office of the Cap Négro-Cap Serrat MPA was established, personnel recruited and the business plan developed setting out long-term, sustainable financing solutions for all activities in the MPA, as well as for all other MPAs in Tunisia.

Turkey: A fully participatory process to develop the management plan for the marine area of Kaş-Kekova Specially Protected Area (SPA) was launched and is currently contributing to the national strategy towards strengthening the system of MPAs in Turkey.