Transboundary Area-based Conservation beyond the Territorial Sea within the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic and Ionian Seas

Abstract

A remarkable example of transboundary marine protected area beyond the territorial waters of Mediterranean coastal States is the Pelagos Sanctuary. A map of Pelagos Sanctuary depicts the shipping lanes, indicating ferry routes, container ship routes, and cargo routes in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Since 2005, the same organization has prohibited the use of towed dredges and trawl nets at depths beyond 1,000 m in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: such other effective area-based conservation measure includes portions of the Southern Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The Strait of Bonifacio forms an international strait between Sardinia and Corsica (two Mediterranean islands belonging to Italy and France, respectively). In 2011, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Safety and Navigation adopted a Recommendation on navigation through the Strait of Bonifacio. Ships of 300 gross tonnage and over entering the strait shall participate in the mandatory ship reporting system established by the competent authorities as described in IMO's publication on Ships' Routeing.