Increasing pressure from unregulated fishing and tourism risks making existing and proposed marine protection ineffective. Habitats such as seagrass beds, which are vital as juvenile fish nurseries – and trap 35 times more carbon than rainforests – are especially vulnerable.
Blue Marine is working to improve marine protection, remove ghost fishing nets, monitor illegal fishing and reduce pollution. We have helped replace all fish packaging on the island with biodegradable alternatives, and the first-ever Blue Marine patrol boat is monitoring the Isla del Aire MPA and preventing illegal fishing. The next step is to create a network of ‘eco-moorings’ to protect seagrass beds.
In 1993, the Balearic Island of Menorca was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, which the organisation describes as ‘learning places for sustainable development’. The Biosphere is finally extending into the marine realm, and is now supported by a marine protected area (MPA) on the south of the island. Blue Marine partners with the Menorca Preservation Fund here to protect threatened habitats and fish stocks.
Rich in sea life, poor in conservation – Greece aims to transform that narrative with a recent commitment to protecting 32 per cent of its waters by 2030. Blue Marine supports ocean protection here across ten different projects .
Italian waters are among the Mediterranean’s most biodiverse. Many of the 14,000 marine species found here are unique to Italy. Our work has linked together seven disparate marine protected areas (MPAs) to offer all of them a haven.
Despite being protected, sharks and rays are being drastically overfished through-out the Mediterranean. Blue Marine are working with partners to develop area-based elasmobranch protections in the Strait of Sicily and improve compliance with existing fisheries restrictions.
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