Since 1990 Tethys has conducted a number of initiatives centered around cetacean conservation and resource management.
Some of the most important are listed below.
Please note that actions conducted after 1998 are not included here.
PELAGOS: A project for the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in the Corso-Ligurian Basin
The region comprising the Corso-Ligurian Basin and the Gulf of Lion is characterised by very high levels of primary productivity, in contrast to the well-known generalised oligotrophy of the Mediterranean Sea. All cetaceans regularly observed in the Mediterranean can be found in the region, including pelagic species such as the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Results from previous surveys had emphasised that cetaceans in this region are significantly more abundant than in all other seas surrounding Italy, and than in the rest of the western Mediterranean basin. However, considerable threats exist for cetacean populations living in the region, including, among others: by-catch in driftnet fishing activities; presence of substantial concentrations of toxic xenobiotics in the trophic chain, which accumulate in the cetaceans' fatty tissues, and, finally, high levels of maritime traffic, including ships transporting hazardous chemicals to and from the region's commercial harbours, and offshore speedboat competitions.
The research conducted by the Tethys Research Institute has highlighted the urgent need that a conservation structure such as the Sanctuary be created in the area. Fin whales found during summer in the Ligurian Sea were found to be genetically distinct from North Atlantic fin whales, and most likely belonging to a reproductively isolated population, residing year-round in the Mediterranean Sea. At an estimated >4000 individuals, the population in the western Mediterranean is small and potentially vulnerable, particularly since the contribution from the eastern basin to the total Mediterranean population is likely to be negligible. The Pelagos Project, commissioned in 1990 by the "European Association Rotary for the Environment" to the Tethys Research Institute, envisaged the creation of a Biosphere Reserve in the Corso-Ligurian Basin, and of an international, Monaco-based authority, responsible for the sustainable management of the basin's natural resources.
Three years later (22 March 1993) the Ministers of the Environment of France and Italy, and the Minister of State of the Monaco Principality, signed in Brussels a joint declaration for the institution of a Mediterranean Sanctuary for marine mammals. In the future Sanctuary all direct takes and intentional harassment of marine mammals will be forbidden, potentially invasive research activities and whale-watching will be regulated; large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing will be banned; offshore speedboat competitions will be limited and eventually forbidden; special effort will be devoted to control and curb pollution harmful to cetaceans.
Several initiatives taken in recent years underline the necessity of a Sanctuary. These include Recommendation 19.92 (Establishment of a marine Sanctuary for large and small cetaceans in the Ligurian Sea, Western Mediterranean) approved by the IUCN General Assembly, January 1994; the mentioning of the Sanctuary in the IUCN Action Plan for the Conservation of Cetaceans; the clear reference to the necessity of creating specially protected areas in the high seas, provided for in the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Area and the Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean of the Barcelona Convention, and in the Agreement for the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), promoted by the Bonn Convention.
On 29 September 1998 the Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary came one step closer to life after the Italian Government officially agreed on a proposal involving the establishment of an international protected area for cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea, approx. 100.000 km2 wide, which has been forwarded to France and the Principality of Monaco.
Recent news about the Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary
Definition of cetacean conservation strategies in the Mediterranean Sea
Since its foundation, the Tethys Research Institute has been actively promoting cetacean conservation strategies and has put pressure on the relevant authorities to implement cetacean conservation plans. Examples of these activities include: 1) the first proposal for the creation of a cetacean sanctuary in the Ligurian Sea (Project "Pelagos"); 2) a proposal for the creation of a dolphin reserve in the Kvarneric, where a common bottlenose dolphin community has been the subject of a long-term study; 3) public awareness and research actions leading to the designation of the Tethys study area in the eastern Ionian Sea as "Site of Community Importance"; 4) collaboration to prepare the first Italian National Action Plan for the conservation of cetaceans; 5) collaboration with the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission to promote the adoption of conservation plans for endangered Mediterranean species; 6) collaboration to prepare the ACCOBAMS Report ´ Cetaceans in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: State of Knowledge and conservation strategiesª ; and 7) a large number of capacity building, public awareness and educational activities, of which a partial list can be found on the Tethys web site at www.tethys.org. This committment to cetacean conservation has received several international recognitions, including a Henry Ford European Conservation Award to the Adriatic Dolphin Project as best European project overall (1996), and a Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship awarded to the currrent Tethys president (2001).
Italian conservation awards
"Premio Speciale Gambrinus" awarded in 1991 to the Tethys Research Institute for its research and conservation activities.
In May 1995 the Tethys Research Institute's Adriatic Dolphin Project is awarded as one of the "Ten Greenest Projects" by the Italian Commission "Carnia Alpe Verde".
Whale-watching regulations
The high abundance of cetaceans, including species such as the fin whale and the sperm whale, in the Corso-Ligurian Basin is likely to give impetus to a fast development of the whale-watching industry, which is going to become a reality in the region in the near future.
Whale-watching activity brings several benefits, which include: 1) promoting cetacean conservation awareness and education among the public; 2) bringing economic advantages to the local communities; and 3) allowing to gather important scientific data for the study of these animals. By contrast, in the absence of codes of conduct or other types of rules, it is possible that whale-watching could bring new dangers to whales.
In order to evaluate the degree of human impact on fin whales present in the Sanctuary area, the Tethys Research Institute is carrying out a research project aimed at monitoring whale reactions in response to approaching vessels and other sources of disturbance.
One of the goals of this study, in the absence of specific Governmental regulations, is to provide the necessary knowledge, based on scientific data, to the definition of a code of conduct that should be adopted by whale-watchers, in order to minimise disturbance and to prevent harassment to cetaceans.
A preliminary version of a Code of Conduct for the regulation of cetacean approaches in the Sanctuary was proposed by the Tethys Research Institute to the Italian Ministry of the Environment in 1992, in view of a future whale-watching development. The Code of Conduct, based on general common-sense and on long-term experience with cetaceans in the wild, regulated the boat speed and direction of vessels when manoeuvring at close quarters from the cetaceans.
A code of conduct will be also defined on the basis of the recommendations outlined by the report of the Whale-Watching Workshop held in Montecastello di Vibio, Italy (1995).
In 1996 the Tethys Research Institute begun a scientific collaboration with the first (and currently unique) Italian commercial whale-watcher operator in the Ligurian Sea, the Portofino 82. The constant presence of an experienced researcher aboard ensures that whale-watching and approaching operations create a minimum disturbance to the animals. During these daily exits at sea the research collects a number of scientific data that integrate those gathered by Tethys research vessels, together with providing the public with lectures and information on cetacean biology and conservation problems.
Dolphin Code of Conduct, islands of Cres and Losinj
Since 1993 a Boating Code of Conduct prepared by Tethys researchers has been produced in four languages (Croatian, English, Italian, and German), and has been widely distributed in Croatia thanks to the help of the Tourist Agency of Mali Losinj. The Code of Conduct informs boaters on the most appropriate behaviour to be adopted in order to minimise disturbance to the animals. From 1997 an updated version in full colours is being distributed in places including tourist agencies and the Marina Yacht Club of Mali Losinj, encouraging pleasure boaters to report dolphin sightings and providing them with information on dolphin ecology and behaviour, as well as conservation issues.
The Environmental Management Plan for the Conservation of the Cres-Losinj Archipelago and the Cres-Losinj Dolphin Reserve
The main objective of the "Environmental Management Plan for the Conservation of the Cres-Losinj Archipelago" is to achieve a general scheme for the management and conservation of the natural and cultural resources of this archipelago. The realisation of the Management Plan has been coordinated by the Island Development Centre of Mali Losinj and drawn up with the technical and financial support of Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistant Programme (METAP), European Commission (EC), European Investment Bank (EIB), World Bank (WB) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP). A proposal for a marine reserve dedicated to the bottlenose dolphins, compiled by Tethys Research Institute researchers, has become an integral part of the latest version of the Management Plan, which has been officially presented in 1996 to the general public in Mali Losinj and Rijeka, and accepted by the Croatian Government. The marine reserve proposal suggests strategies including direct measures for the protection of the dolphins, fishing regulations to prevent over-exploitation by industrial fisheries and preserve small-scale fishery, and boating regulations.
When the "Environmental Management Plan for the Conservation of the Cres-Losinj Archipelago" will evolve into national law is presently unknown. The Office of the Management Plan should have been already operating in this area from 1997, but financial and political difficulties have slackened the achievement of this purpose.
Protection of marine mammals in Croatia
The 17th of May 1995 the Croatian Government showed its sensitivity to the dolphin conservation message spread by the Tethys Research Institute by issuing strict laws for the protection of marine mammals in the whole territory.
Participation in the European Nature Conservation Year
The importance of the conservation activities carried out by the Tethys Research Institute has been recognised by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In 1995 the Adriatic Dolphin Project and the Ionian Dolphin Project were selected to participate in the ENCY, the European Nature Conservation Year.
Organisation of First International Workshop on the Scientific Aspects of Managing Whale-Watching
Whale-watching is a rapidly growing industry world-wide, with more than 4 million participants per year in about 50 countries and overseas territories. Twenty eight scientists and 5 observers from 12 countries met in Italy to discuss the scientific aspects of managing whale-watching. Whale-watching rules have been established in some countries, but these appear to have little scientific basis and considerable discrepancies are evident between existing rules. It was suggested that appropriate management objectives might include the fostering of positive respectful interactions between whales and whale-watchers. An acceptable compromise should be found between the needs of whales and the desire of people to interact with whales.
The goal of the workshop was to produce a report containing: 1) a framework to guide the process of defining new rules and modifying existing rules for whale-watching, 2) a list of recommendations for further research (including monitoring the impacts of whale-watching) and 3) a discussion of further relevant topics. The report is intended for use primarily by scientists who study cetaceans to assist them in offering advice to managers and operators and in planning scientific research on cetaceans that is relevant to the management of whale-watching.
The workshop outlined all the variables associated with whale-watching impacts. Although recent studies have begun to measure many short-term impacts or reactions of whales to whale-watching, workshop participants generally agreed that it is difficult to interpret such short-term impacts.
In addition, there is little evidence to show that short-term impacts have any relation to possible long-term impacts on individual cetaceans, groups or populations. A need was identified for experimental research (including the use of new technologies) that would eventually lead to a better understanding of the link between short-term and long-term impacts of whale-watching.
Since evidence of impact is difficult to obtain, a precautionary approach was strongly recommended. Initial common-sense rules were suggested. Such rules would be flexible and an iterative process was developed for their modification based on feedback from scientific studies.
The workshop, held in Montecastello di Vibio, Italy from 30th March to 4th April, was organised in collaboration with IFAW and Europe Conservation.
Negotiations for the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS)
The Tethys Research Institute has been involved as observer in the intergovernmental meetings held in Monaco the 26-30 September 1995 and the 19-24 November 1996, for the negotiations of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). The agreement pursues Article IV, paragraph 4, of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
The final negotiation meeting, convened in 1996 by the UNEP/CMS Secretariat and attended by 17 Range States and one regional economic integration organisation, brought by consensus to the adoption of the Agreement, thus giving more strength to any effort to protect Mediterranean cetaceans.
The Ionian study area of Tethys listed in the NATURA 2000 Network
In 1995, within the inventory project related to the implementation of the Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC in Greece, the University of Patras and the University of Athens - in collaboration with the Tethys Research Institute - proposed to protect the sea area where Tethys research activities are underway. This area was therefore listed as a relevant habitat of Community interest. A special emphasis was given to the regular presence in the area of key-species such as common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and the endangered monk seal (Monachus monachus). As a result of this joint effort, since 1996 the Tethys' Ionian Dolphin Project study area was qualified as Site of Community Importance (SCI; code: A22200003) according to the European Project NATURA 2000.
"Henry Ford European Conservation Award"
The 1995/96 edition of the "Henry Ford European Conservation Award" - one of the most glamorous environmental prizes - attracted in excess of one thousand entries from 26 countries across Europe. The international panel of judges included representatives of several of the international organisations who had been active in their support of the awards - the Council of Europe, the Conservation Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme and UNESCO. After being selected as the best Italian project, the Adriatic Dolphin Project was seen by the jury as "a model of ongoing education, coupled with professional research and management", and awarded as best European project overall.