Alboran Sea - Objectives
Alboran’s extraordinary oceanography makes it a unique laboratory for scientists to tackle the challenge of managing and monitoring the open ocean. Identifying synergies and bringing together these scientific efforts and parallel political efforts of Alboran riparian states (Morocco, Algeria and Spain), is currently perceived as a top priority, both for dealing with the complexities of governance and for ensuring an ecosystem-based management approach.
Project MedRas sets up the Alboran Sea as a pilot site to initiate the process to identify a Network of Conservation Areas in this region, identify its features and more significant elements as well as to illustrate the development and applicability of criteria to define those important representative features and areas to conserve. The main objectives are:
- Identification of priority sites for conservation and the marine management areas for a protection network of Alboran: Criteria to use, tools and indicators (biological, ecological, socio-economical,..)
- Evaluation of the scientific information available for the design of a network of marine management areas for protection and its use to identify important areas and species
- Integration of the biological information and the interaction with productive activities and impacts for the selection of sites
This process goes in parallel with other existing and complementary programmes and initiatives in the region like the Alboran Initiative and the activities conducted by RAC/SPA, the Centre assisting the Contracting Parties to implement the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Biodiversity of the Barcelona Convention
The Alboran Initiative has as its primary goal to facilitate a future joint management of the Alboran Sea between the three countries, Morocco, Spain and Algeria to ensure its Sustainable Development. The IUCN Mediterranean Cooperation Centre initiated a process focusing on this goal and has realised several international encounters and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders (local authorities, civil society, sectoral stakeholders, support organizations) of the region. For more information on this initiative and to receive the news bulleting, follow the link: Alboran Initiative.
Collaborating Institutions
To achieve these results, the project is conducting several workshops, holding a consultative process and compiling information with experts and institutions from these regions. We sincerely thank our colleagues at the institutions listed below for helping us to make this project a success.
- Spanish, Algerian and Moroccan governments,
- Technical Office of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development
- Spanish Oceanographic Institutions,
- University of Malaga,
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
- Environmental Agency of the Andalusia Government,
- Council of Malaga
- Agriculture and Fisheries' Development of Andalusia (D.a.p., State-owned company, Government of. Andalusia)
- Egmasa, (State-owned company pertaining to the. Department of Environment of the Government of. Andalusia)
- NGO, Oceana (Ocean Protection & Restoration Environmental advocacy group)
- Circe, Private Company Association for Research and Conservation of Cetaceans
- NGO, Alnitak (Environmental Education and Research on Marine Mammals)
- Université Abdelmalek Essaadi de Tetouan, Morocco
- Institut Scientifique Rabat, Morocco
- Département des Pêches, Morocco
