Unity is strength, as the old saying goes. And two of the main actors in preserving marine ecosystems have recently implemented it. On the 15th October 2024 both Pelagos and RAMOGE Agreements attended a joint official meeting at the Middle East and Mediterranean Campus of Sciences Po Paris in Menton. The event gathered relevant stakeholders of the three countries involved (Monaco, France and Italy), notably members of the Communauté d'agglomération de la Riviera française - CARF (French Riviera Agglomeration Community), officials and agents from the municipalities that signed the Pelagos Partnership Charter, as well as managers of the connected Marine Protected Areas and National Parks, Pelagos Ambassadors and other partners of both Agreements.
Following up the mutual understanding between RAMOGE and Pelagos Agreement Secretariats held on the 22nd March within the Monaco Ocean Week 2024, in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the parties presented their respective activities in the field of marine environment protection, and in particular those related to reduction of pollution (marine litter).
In the second part, two round tables devoted respectively to local authorities contribution and Marine Protected Areas, and the evolution of the partnership with boaters registered as Pelagos Ambassadors, to build up collective actions to be discussed with Secretariats' decision makers.
Finally, Anthony Alberti, alias Mr One Teas, unveiled a fresco designed in collaboration with Sciences Po students and other participants.
The RAMOGE and Pelagos Agreements rendezvous was meant to pave the way for a series of new agreed actions in order to continue and strengthen their cooperation in the near future.
PELAGOS AGREEMENT
The Pelagos Agreement came into force in 2002 with the aim of creating a Sanctuary for the protection of marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea. This Aire Spécialement Protégée d'Importance Méditerranéenne - ASPIM (Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance) is therefore the only international cross-border area to support emblematic biodiversity. In the northern Mediterranean basin, in fact, eight species of cetaceans, and rarely the monk seal, are regularly observed throughout the year thanks to the special climatic conditions. The Sanctuary, aknowledged by the Barcelona Convention and the United Nations Environment Programme, is addressed to reduce human impacts on marine species and habitats. More recently, it was classified as a Zone Maritime Particulièrement Vulnérable - ZMPV (Particularly Vulnerable Maritime Zone), in connection with the Spanish cetacean migration corridor.
RAMOGE AGREEMENT
The RAMOGE Agreement is an intergovernmental cooperation agreement signed in 1976 among France, Monaco and Italy to protect the marine environment. The core mission is to preserve coastal ecosystems and their biodiversity, while combating pollution in case of major accidents, like the discharge of oil or further hazardous substances into the sea. Meanwhile, RAMOGE is committed to raising awareness on key issues related to sea protection. The initial RAMOGE’s jurisdiction extended from Saint-Raphaël to Genoa via Monaco. This area has been recently extended from the mouth of the Rhone to the gates of Tuscany, as for the management of coastal zones, and from the mouth of the Rhone to
Capo d'Anzio (close to Rome), passing through Corsica and northern Sardinia, as for anti-pollution actions. ***
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By Maurice Abbati
Journalist; Editor; Communication, Media and Public Relations Specialist
Lecturer and Author in English language of Technical Articles and the Manual: "Communicating the Environment to Save the Planet, a Journey into Eco-Communication" by Springer International Publishing.
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