Page 15 - Badalamenti_Ramos_2000

124 F. Badalamenti et al.

been observed from the reports taken daily by the Reserve Mare (ICRAM), the conditions of the site, the development
keepers (Goñi 1998). The main activity of these boats is of the area, possible research programmes and the integration
sports fishing (72% of boats in 1996). At the time of the of the MPA with pre-existing activities. The likely effects of
creation of the Marine Reserve in 1990, sports fishing was a a reserve both on the marine environment and on the socio-
marginal activity in comparison with professional fishing and economic framework of the area should also be addressed at
the Reserve regulations excluded small-scale fishing (except this stage.
purse seine), while sports fishing was tolerated outside the At present, there are 15 marine reserves in Italy and one
core areas which constitute about 12% of the Reserve (Goñi marine area belonging to a National Park instituted by
1998). decrees published in the official newsletter of the state La
Diving in the Reserve has undergone a similar increase, Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica (G.U.). The procedure
from 20 authorizations (114 divers) in 1990 to 175 (1547 involving the creation of these institutional decrees and their
divers) in 1994 ( Jimenez 1996). The increase in the amount successive publication in the G.U. for these 15 MPAs has
of diving, which was a marginal activity at the beginning of taken over 10 years to complete (Table 1). In addition to
protection, induced the management authorities to prohibit those listed in Table 1, numerous other areas (more than 30)
the activity from December 1994 to February 1996. Since the exist, indicated as ‘finding areas’ in the Act 394/91, where
reopening of the Reserve to diving in March 1996, the marine parks or reserves may be instituted in the near future.
number of authorizations and divers has been increasing Feasibility studies and the procedures for instituting new
(Goñi 1998), despite the more restrictive policy (2856 divers MPAs in these areas are at various stages of completion.
in 1997). Italian MPAs are each divided into zones with various levels
of protection, namely zone A with the highest levels of
Cabrera protection, zone B with ‘general protection’ and zone C with
Pozo (1998) summarized the human activities in Cabrera fewer restrictions. In some cases (e.g. Isole Egadi, Sicily) a
National Park from annual reports of the Park made from zone D, where trawl-fishing is permitted, is foreseen.
1993 to 1996. During this period, increases were observed in From those listed in Table 1, the only MPAs which we
the numbers of licences: for sailing from 173 to 1706, moor- could strictly call functional, with competent managing
ings from 3400 to 6495, and dives from 166 to 408. The bodies, delimited areas and approved regulations are Ustica,
number of visitors reached 39 066 in 1996. The number of Miramare, Capo Rizzuto and Isole Tremiti.
divers reached its maximum in 1995 with 2699, decreasing in
1996 to 1165 despite the increase in the number of diving Ustica
authorizations due to the reduction in the average number of With the institution of the Reserve in Ustica, many new
divers per licence. activities have been initiated and pre-existing ones improved.
These include: the development of a visitor centre and an
aquarium; the training of Reserve guides; glass-bottomed
Italy
boat tours for tourists; the renovation of a medieval tower to
MPAs in Italy have a more recent history but the procedures use as an international conference centre; the creation of a
undertaken to arrive at the inception and functioning of the marine laboratory; the obtaining of funding for research
areas concerned are long and, in fact, only two of the MPAs activities in the Reserve; the stipulation of an accord with the
have been running for more than five years, namely Ustica in University of Palermo; summer courses in marine biology
the southern Tyrrhenian Sea and Miramare in the northern and underwater archaeology; a summer school in marine
Adriatic. However, both areas are extremely small and do not chemistry and practical fieldwork classes in marine ecology
allow proper evaluation of the consequences of MPAs for organized by the University of Palermo; classes given by
social and economic activities. The Acts which establish and fishers on the construction and use of traditional set gears;
regulate MPAs in Italy are number 979 of 1982 and 394 of Settimane blu, or marine-based didactic activities for school
1991. MPAs are instituted by the Ministry of the children organized at a national level; a convention on under-
Environment in conjunction with the Ministry of the water activities; a festival of underwater photography;
Merchant Navy and in agreement with the Treasury. Marine facilities for divers including diving centres, a decompression
areas of particular value may be identified by organizations chamber and underwater trails; and the official delimitation
such as environmental associations, citizens’ groups and of zone A (the area with the highest level of protection).
scientific institutions. A proposal is made for the area ident- These activities are likely to have had the effect of stimulating
ified to be instituted as a MPA and the proposal is presented tourism, although no data on tourism are available.
to the ‘Consultation for the defence of the sea’, an organ of Anecdotally, an increase in tourism of about 35 000 visitors in
the Ministry of the Environment in which representatives of the first four years seems to have occurred.
universities, research bodies, environmental associations and
other interested parties participate. This consultational body Miramare
has the task of determining, in conjunction with the Istituto At Miramare, courses in marine biology at different levels
Centrale per la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica Applicata al (primary and secondary, and university undergraduate and