EcAp-MED II

Title

Mediterranean Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach, in coherence with the European Union (EU) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).

Total duration

48 months, from June 2015 -June 2019.

Beneficiary Countries

Southern Mediterranean Contracting parties to the Barcelona Convention; Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia.

Background

The Ecosystem Approach (EcAp) is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. The Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention have been engaged, at their 18th Ordinary Meeting, into the implementation of the ecosystem approach to the management of human activities in the Mediterranean, with the ultimate objective to achieve a Good Environmental Status (GES) of the Mediterranean Sea. They also outline a Roadmap for its implementation. (Read more)

Moreover, the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy framework Directive (MSFD, 2008) by the EU Member States in the region presents crucial opportunities and needs for the application of the EcAp throughout the Mediterranean region ensuring that the MSFD and EcAp mutually strengthen and build on each other, with the common ultimate aim to achieve GES of the Mediterranean sea.

The ecosystem approach process has been supported by two projects : EcAp-MED I (2012-2015) and EcAp-MED II (2015-2019). In fact, next to strongly contributing to the achievement of the first steps of the EcAp roadmap, especially in relation to the development of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme for the Mediterranean, the EcAp-MED I project has also created a great ownership between the Contracting Parties for EcAp. The EcAp-MED II project seeks to support the Southern Mediterranean Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention to implement the EcAp. (Read more)

Objectives:

The overall objective of this project is to support the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention and its Southern Mediterranean Contracting Parties to implement the ecosystem approach in synergy and coherence with the implementation of the European Union (EU) Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The project seeks to support these countries to implement the EcAp Roadmap, through assisting them in establishing new monitoring programmes in line with EcAp. This will enable, for the first time, a quantitative monitoring of the status of the Mediterranean Sea and coast on a regional basis, covering biodiversity and non-indigenous species, coast and hydrography, and pollution and marine litter monitoring in an interlinked manner.

In addition, the project will

address some specific challenges of the EcAp Roadmap implementation in the Mediterranean;
strengthen science-policy interface;
address sub-regional implementation needs;
respond to data and information challenges in the region.

Activities

In order to address the challenges related to the next steps of EcAp Roadmap implementation in an integrated manner, the project outlines four key activities:

1. Progress in the implementation of the EcAp new monitoring requirements in selected countries in the Mediterranean

1.1. Monitoring Programme

National monitoring programme related to biodiversity and NIS in Algeria
National monitoring programme related to biodiversity and NIS in Egypt
National monitoring proramme related to biodiversity and NIS in Israel
National monitoring programme related to biodiversity and NIS in Lebanon
National monitoring programme related to biodiversity and NIS in Libya
National monitoring programme related to biodiversity and NIS in Morocco
National monitoring programme related to biodiversity and NIS in Tunisia

1.2. Capacity building

1.2.1. Sub-regional training

1st Training on monitoring techniques of the common indicators related to biodiversity and NIS (16-22 July 2017, Kuriat islands, Tunisia)
2nd training on monitoring techniques of the common indicators related to biodiversity and NIS (22-28 September 2017, Samos Island, Greece)

1.2.2. National training

National training session on monitoring techniques of seabirds in Tunisia (10-13 May 2018, Kerkennah islands)
National training session on monitoring techniques of marine habitats and seabirds in Morocco ( 26-29 June 2018, Al Hoceima National Park)
National training session on monitoring techniques of marine turtles in Lebanon (3-7 July 2018, Tyre Coast Nature Reserve)
National training session on monitoring techniques of marine turtles in Egypt ( 20-23 July 2018, Northern coast of Egypt.)
National training session on monitoring techniques of marine habitats, seabirds and NIS in Algeria (9-13 September 2018, Rachgoun Island)

2. Establishment of sub-regional cooperation in EcAp implementation in the Mediterranean region

3. Sub-regional Pilot Study for the Eastern Mediterranean on Non-Indigenous Species, in relation to Fisheries

Workshop on strengthening SPI in the field of Marine Protected Areas and Marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean (Tangier, Morocco, 28 November 2016)
Workshop on SPI strengthening for the implementation of the UNEP/MAP IMAP in relation to Marine Litter, Biodiversity & fisheries, Hydrography, with a focus on the Risk Based Approach (RBA) for monitoring (Madrid, Spain, 02 March 2017)
Workshop on SPI strengthening on IMAP scales of monitoring and assessment (Nice, France, 27 April 2017)

4. EcAp related data-management, including quality assurance is established/strengthened in the Mediterranean