Overview
The Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) provides for the establishment of the List of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI List).
The SPAMI List aims to promote cooperation among the Parties to the Barcelona Convention in the management and conservation of natural areas, as well as in the protection of threatened species and their habitats across the Mediterranean region.
Objectives and criteria of SPAMIs
The SPAMI List may include sites which:
- are of importance for conserving components of Mediterranean biological diversity;
- contain ecosystems specific to the Mediterranean region or habitats of endangered species;
- are of special interest at the scientific, aesthetic, cultural or educational levels.
The SPA/BD Protocol defines the criteria for the selection of protected marine and coastal areas that may be included in the SPAMI List, as set out in Annex I to the SPA/BD Protocol.
It also establishes a procedure for the periodic review of listed areas, which should take place every six years from the date of inclusion of the site in the SPAMI List.
The SPAMI List
The SPAMI List was established at the 12th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP 12), held in Monaco in November 2001.
To date, the SPAMI List includes 39 areas.
SPAMIs may be established in:
- marine and coastal zones subject to the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention; and
- areas situated partly or wholly on the high seas.
Parties to the SPA/BD Protocol have committed to respect the protection and conservation measures adopted for SPAMIs.
Procedures for listing SPAMIs
In accordance with Article 9 of the SPA/BD Protocol, proposals for the inclusion of an area in the SPAMI List are submitted:
- by the Party concerned, where the area is situated in a zone already delimited over which it exercises sovereignty or jurisdiction;
- by two or more neighbouring Parties concerned, where the area is situated partly or wholly on the high seas; or
- by the neighbouring Parties concerned, in areas where the limits of national sovereignty or jurisdiction have not yet been defined.
The Parties concerned submit to SPA/RAC a presentation report, following a specific format adopted by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention in 2001.
Periodic review and evaluation of SPAMIs
In 2008, the Contracting Parties adopted a procedure for the periodic review of SPAMIs, in order to assess whether listed sites continue to meet the criteria of the SPA/BD Protocol (Annex I).
Ordinary reviews of SPAMIs take place every six years, counting from the date of inclusion of the site in the SPAMI List.
Within this framework, a SPAMI evaluation system has been developed to support the review process and assess the implementation of conservation and management measures at site level.
This system is accessible through a dedicated platform.
SPAMI Evaluation System
SPAMI Day
A day to celebrate the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance and expand ocean conservation efforts
The SPAMI Day, set up in 2021 (Decision IG.25/12), is an annual initiative dedicated to raising awareness of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMIs), marine and coastal protected areas, and the conservation of Mediterranean marine and coastal ecosystems more broadly. It provides a platform to highlight the role of SPAMIs in biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management across the region.
The SPAMI Day brings together decision-makers, protected area managers, national institutions, civil society organisations, MAP partners, donors, the scientific and academic communities, as well as the general public and media. It aims to promote cooperation and exchange among SPAMI managers, recognise and celebrate achievements on the ground, communicate lessons learned from SPAMI reviews, and encourage collaboration, networking and the emergence of new initiatives in support of an effective and coherent SPAMI network.
