SAIS - EBSA
South Adriatic Ionian Strait Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas
WHAT
The South Adriatic Ionian Strait (SAIS) is considered an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) under the Convention of Biological Diversity. It focuses on the Southern Adriatic Pit and the northern part of the Ionian Sea, including the Strait of Otranto. It is a region that is both oceanographically and geopolitically complex.
WHY
This area is characterised by steep slopes, high salinity and depths ranging between 200 m to 1500 m from the deep sea to the coast. It contains important habitats for wide ranging and migratory marine mammals, sea turtles and endangered sharks and rays. On the seabed deep-sea cold water coral communities and sponge aggregations are important biodiversity reservoirs and contribute to the trophic recycling of organic matter.
These waters are shared by five countries, including European Union (EU) and non-EU states each managing their jurisdictions independently. Human activities in the region have the potential to undermine the basis for the identification of the EBSA in the region, unless managed in an integrated manner.
WHEN
2008
The 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9 CBD) adopted scientific criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas ( annex I, decision IX/20 ).
2012
The Barcelona Convention COP17 endorsed a preliminary EBSA Map, featuring 11 priority areas in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the CBD criteria.
2013
During the 17th meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, decision IG.21/5, “Identification and Conservation of sites of particular ecological interest in the Mediterranean” was adopted setting a cooperation framework with the CBD Secretariat in organizing during 2014 a Mediterranean regional workshop on EBSAs.
2014
UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC regional workshop identifies 17 EBSAs of which 15 were included in the EBSAs Repository the same year as adopted by the subsequent CBD COP 12. Four of these EBSAs are within, or partially within, the Adriatic-Ionian region. The South Adriatic Ionian Strait (SAIS) is identified and assessed against the CBD EBSA criteria during the Workshop Plenary , meeting all the criteria established by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
2019
The Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community identifies the SAIS EBSA as a pilot area to propose a transboundary governance model.
HOW
While there are several existing initiatives relevant to the region, the SAIS EBSA requires a governance mechanism that integrates ecosystem-based management, marine spatial planning, and area-based conservation principles into a transboundary action plan. The identification of governance mechanisms will be based on participatory processes among relevant regional stakeholders and in line with principles common to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the European Union and the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (Barcelona Convention).
2019
As part of the Interreg Mediterranean Programme, the PANACeA Interreg MED project (2016-2019) hosted a workshop ‘Towards an action plan for the Ecosystem-based management on the Southern Adriatic Ecoregion‘. The first workshop produced a report with recommendations to develop an action plan by identifying pressures, conservation measures, governance mechanisms, policy tools and suggesting commitments that need to be made to ensure the management of the region.
2021
Building on the recommendations of the first workshop, a second workshop was organized as part of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community (MBPC) Interreg MED project (2nd phase of PANACeA, 2019-2022) to complement a pilot study on mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation into marine and maritime policies in the Mediterranean region. From this second workshop the Draft Action Plan and Roadmap were the first steps towards the creation of a range of governance tools, including several actions enabling the sustainable use of the SAIS-EBSA and guaranteeing its conservation in the long-term.
2022
The process of writing an Action Plan and Roadmap embeds the potential governance mechanisms into existing multilateral regional initiatives. A third workshop (mid-2022) will seek to finalise a roadmap and action plan to stimulate the beginning of a participatory process aiming to catalyse the fully sustainable use of this ecologically and economically important area.
Next steps
Three key elements are required:
Leadership on the project from 2023
requires legitimacy from regional organisations and the countries of the region. While there are many sectoral organisations working within the region it will be important to identify those that are primarily concerned with biodiversity conservation and those interested in cross-cutting coordination mechanisms such as marine spatial planning to lead the discussion forward from 2023.
Repurposing the scientific and technical role of the MBPC
through the engagement with existing regional communities/networks, to include experts and technocrats dealing with “key topics of interest”. Such a community would serve as an Advisory Board for decision-makers regarding the SAIS EBSA. Through this community a clear “shared overarching objective” could be defined around the concept of conservation and sustainable use of this EBSA and adjacent areas. The MBPC would maintain a role in facilitating the exchange of knowledge through the Science-Policy interface.
Shaping the new community Advisory Board
identifying ways to motivate different stakeholders to participate in the process. It means to define a Modus Operandi for citizens, experts and stakeholders (private or institutional). The MBPC is envisaged to maintain a role of facilitating the exchange of knowledge through the Science-Society interface promoting and show-casing conservation.
The Action Plan and Roadmap are participatory and bottom-up embedding the initiative into existing regional governance initiatives, particularly the EUSAIR work-plan and the UNEP MAP relevant activities. This document seeks to provide a replicable framework, according to local context, for the application of governance tools in other EBSAs both within the Mediterranean Sea but also globally. This includes the identification leadership roles and the community rules.
WHO
National, regional and city authorities from Italy, Albania, Croatia, Greece, and Montenegro
United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan – Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA-RAC)
European Union Macro-regional Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR)
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Major stakeholder groups: fishery, tourism, shipping, conservation, energy
The Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection Community
Networks at different level to promote the model (e.g., MedCities to promote it within adjacent cities to the SAIS EBSA)
WHERE
The area is located in the centre of the southern part of the Southern Adriatic basin and in the northern part of the Ionian Sea. It includes the deepest part of the Adriatic Sea on the western side and it encompasses a coastal area in Albania (Sazani Island and Karaburuni peninsula). It also covers the slopes in near Santa Maria di Leuca. The area is located in the centre of the southern part of the Southern Adriatic basin and the northern Ionian Sea. [Source CBD web page]
