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The local communities bordering the straits make themselves heard at the International Marine Protected Areas Congress Marseille, 21-25 October 2013

Published the 12 November 2024

The 3rd International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC3) was held in Marseille, France from 21 to 25 October 2013, bringing together over 1000 participants from 80 different countries. The European Straits Initiative was represented by the Pas-de-Calais County Council, the lead partner alongside Kent County Council, and also by the Corsican Environment Office. It was also an opportunity to have the voices of local communities heard in this international meeting of marine protected area managers, State representatives, professionals, NGOs, and researchers. As with the high sea, sustainable development of the straits is an issue that requires specific attention from the international community.

After Geelong (Australia) in 2004, and Washington (United States of America) in 2009, the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC) was held for the first time in Europe in Marseille from 21 to 25 October 2013. Organised jointly by the French Marine Protected Areas Agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this congress brought together over 1000 participants from 80 countries across the globe. Officially opened by the French Minister responsible for maritime affairs, Frédéric Cuvillier (but also attended by other important figures such as Prince Albert II of Monaco), this congress continued in Ajaccio, Corsica on 26 and 27 October and included a ministerial meeting before being closed by Philippe Martin, the French Minister for the environment and sustainable development, alongside his counterparts from 19 countries representing all the oceans.

The European Straits Initiative (ESI) was represented in Marseille by the Pas-de-Calais County Council and the Corsican Environment Office. A workshop on maritime traffic and conservation of the marine environment provided insights into the specific challenges faced by straits in this area in particular. Two other workshops focused on the Strait of Bonifacio and its original initiatives which are designating the strait as a particularly sensitive sea area (IMO instrument, also used for the entire Baltic Sea where 3 of Initiative’s 8 straits are located) and the setting up of a European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) creating the International Marine Park of the Bouches de Bonifacio (in December 2012 – read the article about it on this website).

Based on the experiences exchanged within the context of the NOSTRA (Network Of STRAits) project, the ESI’s first major project, the European Straits Initiative made the most of the unique opportunity provided by the International Marine Protected Areas Congress to highlight the specific circumstances of the straits of Europe. The network of European local communities bordering the straits was also able to draw inspiration from interesting experiences regarding the classification of marine and coastal sites and as UNESCO world heritage sites, but also with different labels (Biosphere Reserve, Geoparks, etc.) for its own process of classifying the Dover strait. Moreover, France and Italy announced that they will draft a joint nomination to register the International Marine Park of the Bouches de Bonifacio and the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park in Sardinia as UNESCO world heritage sites.

As one of the significant outcomes of this congress was the call for greater protection of the high sea, an issue that has been gaining momentum in the United Nations for several years, the Pas-de-Calais County Council, on behalf of the European Straits Initiative, repeatedly argued that straits also require special attention from the international community.

You can also read the article concerning the straits on the congress website.

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