Advancing a biodiversity-inclusive blue economy in Montenegro: key insights from the first NAP+ workshop
On 26 February 2026, the FishEBM MED project convened its first national stakeholder workshop in Bar, Montenegro, marking the official launch of the NAP+ development process. The workshop brought together stakeholders from fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, research institutions, and public authorities to explore how biodiversity can be effectively integrated into the blue economy. A participatory start […]
Gaia First and SPA/RAC announce a strategic collaboration to strengthen marine conservation in the Mediterranean
PRESS RELEASE – Tunis, 7 April 2026 An alliance at the heart of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science The Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) and the international organization Gaia First announce a strategic collaboration aimed at strengthening marine and coastal conservation in the Mediterranean. This cooperation fully aligns with the implementation […]
OECMs and the 30×30 target in the Mediterranean webinar summary report
Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) are increasingly recognised as a key tool to complement Marine Protected Areas and support the achievement of Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, including the 30×30 objective. In this context, SPA/RAC, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, and BlueSeeds, through the Together for the Med initiative, organised a webinar entitled Understanding […]
A new nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles discovered in Tunisia
A recent scientific study has confirmed the presence of a previously unrecorded nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at Ghedhabna Beach, on Tunisia’s eastern coast. Over three consecutive nesting seasons (2023–2025), nearly 40 nests per year on average were recorded, making Ghedhabna the second most important nesting site in Tunisia after the Kuriat Islands. This discovery represents an important step forward in understanding the evolving distribution of marine turtles in […]
FishEBM MED Steering Committee meets in Montenegro to advance project implementation
The FishEBM MED Project Steering Committee (PSC) convened on 24–25 February 2026 in Bar, bringing together partner countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Montenegro and Tunisia) and implementing agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and SPA/RAC. The meeting provided an opportunity to […]
Tunisia towards 30×30: Official Launch of the Project
On 13 February 2026 in Tunis, the project “Tunisia towards 30×30” was officially launched in the presence of around twenty representatives from national institutions, partner organizations and civil society actors engaged in marine conservation. This initiative aims to strengthen and expand Tunisia’s network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs), in order to accelerate the country’s contribution […]
Strengthening marine biodiversity monitoring in Tunisia through environmental DNA
A national training session explored the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) as an innovative tool to enhance marine biodiversity monitoring in Tunisia. Organized by the Ministry of the Environment and the National Gene Bank, with the support of SPA/RAC, the session brought together over 60 representatives from national institutions, universities, scientific laboratories, marine protected areas […]
Consultative Workshops Held for Ashtoum El-Gamil Protected Area and Egypt’s Marine Mammal Action Plan
On 27–28 January 2026, national consultative workshops were held in Port Said, Egypt. Organized by SPA/RAC and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) under the EU-funded SEMPA project, the two back-to-back workshops provided a platform to present and discuss: The workshops brought together representatives from public agencies, NGOs, fishers’ organizations, universities, and protected area managers […]
Understanding and using Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to achieve the 30×30 target in the Mediterranean
Context and rationale The Mediterranean stands at a key moment, facing major environmental and socio-economic challenges while also offering concrete opportunities to strengthen area-based conservation and progress towards the global 30×30 target of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. While Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) remain a cornerstone of conservation efforts, Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) […]