Creating coast-to-coast, trans-frontier marine peace parks to preserve the best of Mediterranean marine diversity across political and cultural divides ... this is not a dream but a new, realistic vision backed-up by CIESM marine scientists who met at the end of November in the ancient Sicilian city of Syracuse (Italy).

The Mediterranean Science Commission invited 30 international marine researchers¹, all experts of the region, to this brainstorming Workshop in order to identify priority sectors of the Eastern and Western Basins hosting unique, vulnerable geological, ecological and oceanographic features². Seamounts, sites of deep water formation, breeding and feeding areas of endangered species such as the monk seal and the blue fin tuna, deep-sea hypersaline basins, figured among the many criteria considered in the geographic selection.

Eight large marine areas have been selected: they include the Pelagian Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar sensu lato, sectors of the Ionian, Adriatic, north Levantine and south Aegean Seas. "One major innovation of these marine parks" – said Frederic Briand, Director General of CIESM – "is that they will encompass both coastal areas and high seas, allowing for a continuum of harmonized protection measures, agreed between the concerned countries over vast expanses of sea. For us scientists, this seems the only way to ensure effective, long-term functioning of whole marine ecosystems and the maintenance of marine populations often dependent on broad ranges." He added that this proposal was innovative in another way: "such a trans-boundary system would improve existing relations between neighbouring States, and render current disputes over the precise demarcation of maritime frontiers less and less relevant. This is why, said Briand, we are proud to call them 'Marine Parks for Peace': peace for the sake of sustainable conservation of the Mediterranean Sea".

But how realistic is the idea of protecting large areas of the Mediterranean Sea where human pressures such as coastal developments, maritime traffic, fishing are at peak levels? “We need to move away from the obsolete concept of considering marine protected areas like fortresses – continued Briand – we need to apply spatial planning and allocate within each of these parks distinct zones having different levels of protection.” “For example – added Enric Sala, the Workshop co-Chair and National Geographic Explorer – some zones would be temporarily restricted to fishing, allowing for the replenishment of fish stocks, others would be devoted to international marine research, while vessels transporting dangerous substances would follow well-defined maritime corridors, away from particularly vulnerable areas, as happens with air traffic control”.