SEABIRD ACTION PLANS
MEDMARAVIS co-operates closely with the secretariat of the Barcelona Convention (UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan, Athens) and more particularly in the framework of its “Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean”.
Our Association was instrumental to add a list of 15 endangered or threatened coastal bird species in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Protocol. The Action Plan for the conservation of these species was adopted in 2003 by the 20 governmental parties to the Barcelona Convention, following similar plans for the Monk Seal, seaturtles, cetaceans and various threatened infralittoral organisms.
The fifteen bird species of Annex 2 are:
Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea
Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan
European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Mediterranean Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmaeus
White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae
Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris
Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii
Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
Little Tern Sterna albifrons.
The Action Plans elaborated for the Barcelona Convention identify and lay our priorities that need to be undertaken to attain their specific objectives.
The action plans propose practical conservation measures in the field, but also administrative, legislative and scientific measures as for example:
- identification of important bird areas,
- development and implementation of appropriate legislation for the 15 above mentioned bird species and their habitats,
- filling knowledge gaps of coastal and pelagic birds and their habitats
- public awareness and education programmes highlighting the vul- nerability of threatened species,
- elaboration of national action plans.
References : UNEP RAC-SPA, MEDMARAVIS and S.E.O. (2006) : Proceedings of the First Symposium on the Mediterranean Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine and Coastal Birds. Vilanova i la Geltru, Spain. November 2005.
COMPLEMENTARY LIST OF COASTAL BIRDS
As a few East-Mediterranean coastal bird species were overlooked while compiling Annex 2 of he Biodiversity Protocol, MEDMARAVIS has co-ordinated a project for completing the list of endangered coastal birds listed in Annex 2.
During a joint UNEP - MEDMARAVIS - S.E.O. (Sociedad Espanola d’Ornitologia) symposium held in November 2005 at Vilanova i la Geltru (Catalonia), the participants, on the suggestion of MEDMARAVIS to include some additional threatened coastal species, agreed unanimously to propose the addition of the 10 following bird species to Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Protocol of the Barcelona Convention
Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei
Armenian Gull Larus armenicus
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis.
This additional list was presented for ratification to the secretariat of the Mediterranean Action Plan.