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1. Context

Introduction

Status of the MPA network in Italy

Different types of protected areas occur in the Italian seas, each one created under different legal
frameworks: (i) marine protected areas (MPA), (ii) sites of community importance (SCI), (iii)
specially protected areas of Mediterranean importance (SPAMI), (iv) biological protection zones
(BPZ) and other fisheries regulated areas.

i. MPA
Two Italian acts regulate the conservation of natural environment: Act no. 979/1982 on the defence of
sea and Act no. 394/1991 on protected areas. Twenty-seven MPAs, and two submarine parks who
surface ranges from 20 to more than 50,000 hectares have been created to date after these acts. They
are typically divided in a no-take/no-access or integral zone (A zone), a buffer zone (B zone) and a
peripheral zone (C zone): in the latter two, restrictions to human uses become progressively looser
(Villa et al 2002; Guidetti et al 2008). Italian MPAs are created and controlled by the Ministry of the
Environment which delegates the management responsibility to a local management body.
The Marine Mammals Sanctuary is a special kind of MPA created and managed by France, Italy and
the Principality of Monaco created by and ad hoc act.
To date in Italy there 27 MPAs and one Marine Mammals Sanctuary.

ii. SCI
SCIs are sites that contribute significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable
conservation status of a natural habitat type or of a species and may also contribute significantly to the
coherence of Natura 2000 and/or to the maintenance of biological diversity within the biogeographic
region or regions concerned. Italian SCIs are created and controlled by the Ministry of the
Environment, except in special statute regions like Sicily that create their own SCIs. In Sicily 6 marine
SICs have been designated.

iii. SPAMI
SPAMIs are particularly relevant areas aimed at protecting endangered species and their habitat
according to the Barcelona Convention, selected according to several criteria. UNEP’s RAC/SPA
(Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas) has produced a SPAMI list that includes also
ten Italian MPAs and the Marine Mammals Sanctuary.

iv. BPZ
Presidential Decree no. 1639/1968 provided for the creation of BPZs aimed at banning or regulating
fishing in spawning or otherwise sensitive areas important for commercial fish. Thirteen such zones
exist in Italian waters, created and controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests.
Other fisheries regulated areas include areas where different types of fishing ban are imposed, like e.g.
the Gulf of Castellammare no-trawl area. Such areas may be created and controlled either by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests or by regional governments.

Strait of Sicily
In the Strait of Sicily (SoS) there is no integrated spatial management plan but only a mosaic of
sectoral management plans/initiatives lacking of a co-ordinated approach and focuses mainly on nature
conservation and fisheries sustainability (Figure 1).
In the SoS governance analysis is going to be conducted at two levels in both “Sicily” and “Malta”
sub-case studies. The first level includes a brief review of different perspectives and issues on UNEP-
RAC/SPA high seas network proposal in the SoS as revealed by ongoing consultations and
overviewing of the Pantelleria marine protected area (MPA) establishment process. The second level
deals with a detailed stakeholder analysis in the Egadi MPA.

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