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4.4 Resulting potential SPAMI sites in the Mediterranean Open Sea

Keeping in special consideration Art. 8 of the SPA/BD Protocol (“2. The SPAMI List may include
sites which: are of importance for conserving the components of biological diversity in the
Mediterranean; contain ecosystems specific to the Mediterranean area or the habitats of
endangered species; are of special interest at the scientific, aesthetic, cultural or educational
levels”), we have identified 15 potential SPAMI sites within 10 EBSAs, across eight Mediterranean
subregions, for consideration by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention. Fig. 4-30
(below) shows the distribution of these fifteen sites, with the centrum of each pinpointed on the
map. The actual boundaries for each of these SPAMI proposals cannot be determined at this time,
but can be elaborated with further, more focused research, to take into account: a) physical and
biological features of the site, b) considerations of network-wide connectivity and representativity,
c) allowances for feasibility issues to influence protected area design, so that conservation
effectiveness can be maximised (Convention on Biological Diversity 2008), and d) an analysis of
the current and potential threats to marine biodiversity features occurring in each site, which could
be best addressed through place-based conservation and management measures.

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Fig. 4-30. Prospective SPAMI sites.

The fifteen prospective SPAMI sites are deliberately recommended without indicating an order of
ecological priority, considering that the overarching priority is not one of designating one site
instead of another, but rather of increasing the ecological representativeness of the overall regional
network by filling the current wide gaps in the central and eastern Mediterranean, and along its
southern shore.