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researching the legal basis, looking at socioeconomic issues, and so forth.
8. Suggest or assist in creating a formal MPA proposal which would include the key points

of the appropriate conservation plan. What is the most appropriate type of MPA
proposal: SPAMI, SAC, local or national nature reserve, or other designation?
9. Try to identify a body or person(s) who could help build the bridge between
ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee Recommendations and Implementation of these
recommendations by each country or region, as appropriate. Cooperate and even
collaborate as may be useful with Greenpeace, WWF, WDCS and other groups
concerned with MPA conservation to help develop broadest public support. Some of
these groups have MPA proposals of their own which should be examined for shared
priorities.
10. Participate in the public process to create such an MPA, to assist in the implementation
of conservation plans and to help set up management plans with zoning, education
programmes, enforcement, monitoring and periodic review, both in terms of cetacean
conservation and overall success of the MPA. Zoning refers to two things, both of
which the SC needs to be involved in: (a) Selecting highly protected no-take zones
based on best science for cetacean critical habitat and prey areas, and (b) Helping to
establish appropriate transition and human-use zones (where artisanal and some kinds
of other fishing activities, whale watching tours, general marine tourism, ferries and
shipping traffic, may be able to occur but with restrictions.)

5. Actions to be implemented at the regional level
5.1. In the Agreement area, identifying areas that are important for cetaceans but lie

outside state jurisdictions

A large part of the distribution area of the species covered by ACCOBAMS lies in the
High Seas and thus is not subject to the jurisdiction of individual States. The available
data has revealed concentrations of certain cetacean species on the High Seas, and
action is required to protect them. In 2000, a landmark international protection area
was indeed created in the Mediterranean to protect cetacean habitats. The Pelagos
Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals, was jointly created by France, Italy
and Monaco, and it was put on the SPAMI List in recognition of the portion of the
sanctuary located on the high seas. It should also be noted that France and Italy have
created ecological protection zones which may have an impact on High Seas
protection measures outside the Pelagos Sanctuary.

Additional important high seas areas should be identified in future, and evaluation can
be made along the lines suggested in 4.3. Cañadas et al (2005)) proposes such areas
for the Alborán Sea. The survey planned in the ACCOBAMS context for the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea may help facilitate the identification of additional
areas.

The Secretariat of the Agreement could act as an important catalyst for identifying
High Seas areas that are important for cetaceans or areas that are trans-boundary or
lie outside of a single state’s jurisdiction. As part of this work programme, the
Secretariat has invited the collaboration of the Parties to prepare an inventory of such
areas. In this activity, the Secretariat would also consult with the relevant international
and/or regional organisations. It would also make an analysis of the legal and
institutional systems and where necessary make suggestions for harmonization that
are likely to facilitate the creation and management of MPAs.

5.2. Elaboration of guidelines for the management of existing MPAs concerning the
conservation of cetaceans

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