Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND MEDITERRANEAN SYMPOSIUM ON MARINE VEGETATION (ATHENS, 12-13 DECEMBER 2003)<br />
224<br />
species while <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> EU Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 21 st <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> May 1992 defines its<br />
meadows as priority habitat type. The protecti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Posid<strong>on</strong>ia oceanica and its meadows<br />
is thus <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> top priorities in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> field <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> nature c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong>. However, in order to<br />
properly define <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential threats and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore apply efficient c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> measures<br />
to this unique meadow, fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r research and m<strong>on</strong>itoring was necessary.<br />
The importance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r research and m<strong>on</strong>itoring is even greater due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> foreseen<br />
changes c<strong>on</strong>cerning <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> main coastal road that is now going al<strong>on</strong>g and very close to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
coastline. The new coastal road, that is bound to be built in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> forthcoming years, will<br />
be moved into a tunnel, and will as a c<strong>on</strong>sequence, “free” <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> coastline and make it<br />
available for o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r activities, mainly recreati<strong>on</strong> and tourism. Due to that, increased<br />
pressure for beach enlargement, piers, maritime traffic and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r recreati<strong>on</strong>al and tourist<br />
facilities is expected. Without a proper legislati<strong>on</strong>, accurate maps <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sea bottom and<br />
its habitat types, a well-defined m<strong>on</strong>itoring and awareness campaign, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> expected<br />
pressure for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> recreati<strong>on</strong>al facilities could jeopardise <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> meadow.<br />
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING<br />
In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> framework <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> SAP BIO project (Strategic Acti<strong>on</strong> Plan for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
marine and coastal biodiversity in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong>), carried out by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Regi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas in Tunis, Nati<strong>on</strong>al Reports were prepared in<br />
order to define <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> state <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> art in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> field <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> biodiversity c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> and foresee <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
due future activities. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Slovene As a follow-up <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Report, a Nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Acti<strong>on</strong> Plan for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Posid<strong>on</strong>ia oceanica meadow was drafted. Its main<br />
objectives are in line with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Acti<strong>on</strong> Plan for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> marine vegetati<strong>on</strong> in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sea, adopted by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tracting parties to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Barcel<strong>on</strong>a C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong><br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> year 1999 and with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> provisi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> EU Habitat directive. The main targets <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> acti<strong>on</strong> plan could be summed as follows:<br />
• legal protecti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Posid<strong>on</strong>ia oceanica and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> establishment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a protected area that<br />
would include <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> meadow;<br />
• better knowledge <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> extensi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> area covered by Posid<strong>on</strong>ia oceanica based<br />
<strong>on</strong> an accurate cartography <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> meadow;<br />
• better knowledge <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> main ecological parameters in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> area covered by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
meadow;<br />
• raising public awareness.<br />
The possibility to carry out most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> activities, foreseen in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> acti<strong>on</strong> plan, came with<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> signiture <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a Memorandum <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Understanding (referred hereafter as MoU) between<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Institute <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Republic <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Slovenia for Nature C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Cooperati<strong>on</strong> for Envir<strong>on</strong>ment and Development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Principality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<strong>on</strong>aco and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Regi<strong>on</strong>al Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Barcel<strong>on</strong>a<br />
C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>. According to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> MoU, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Institute <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Republic <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Slovenia for Nature<br />
C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong>, through its Regi<strong>on</strong>al Office Piran, should carry out activities aimed at<br />
ensuring an efficient, l<strong>on</strong>g-term c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Posid<strong>on</strong>ia oceanica meadow and will