The collaboration is focused on whale watching regulation and monitoring of maritime traffic
Fin whales, sperm whales, pilot whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and the poorly known Cuvier’s beaked whale inhabit the Pelagos Sanctuary, in place since 2002 thanks to an agreement between France, Italy and Monaco. In order to protect these cetaceans, WWF Italia and CIMA Research foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding. Both the institutions are working to safeguard biodiversity, and the memorandum provides for the reciprocal support of programs for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea and the sustainability of anthropic activities, in particular whale watching and maritime traffic.
Not only do whales and dolphins represent a wealth for biodiversity, they also attract an increasing number of whale watchers. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the interest and awareness on the marine biodiversity and, together, guarantee that animals are not disturbed during our observations.
Within the Interreg Maritime project EcoSTRIM, CIMA Research Foundation deals with the implementation of the High Quality Whale Watching® label developed by ACCOBAMS and Pelagos.
“In Italy, whale watching was born in Liguria in the ’90s. The activity rapidly became a popular attraction for the region. Moreover, it has recently spread to almost all regions of the Mediterranean Sea. A survey we conducted counted approximately 40 operators in Italy, but the number is probably underestimated”, says Aurélie Moulins, researcher of the Marine Ecosystems Department at CIMA Research Foundation. «Whale watching can be done in different ways, such as daily excursions on motorboat or dinghy, or even weeklong trips on a sailboat. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the numbers of participants. In addition, we don’t have a precise legislation on whale watching. This is why ACCOBAMS, in collaboration with Pelagos, registered the High Quality Whale Watching® label for operators who follow specific sustainability criteria and the Code of Good Conduct. In February, the second training for the label will start, kept by CIMA Research Foundation within EcoSTRIM”.
Another important point of contact between the activities of WWF Italia and CIMA Research Foundation is the reduction of the risk of collision between boats and large cetaceans. As a partner of the SICOMAR plus project, in fact, CIMA Research Foundation carries on activities of research and monitoring for identifying where navigation route and cetaceans hotspots overlap. Together, the institutions will organize educational activities for the protection of the species, and will promote the available technologies for the collision risk reduction.
“The cetacean conservation depends on a number of factors, such as our ability to mitigate the impact of maritime traffic and reducing the impact of pollution”, says Donatella Bianchi, president of WWF Italia. “The traffic in the Mediterranean Sea, with a growth rate of 3-4% each year, has almost doubled since 2002, and it will continue to increase. This has an unsustainable impact on the sea, which concentrates 19% of global maritime traffic and is home to 7.5% of all the marine species of the planet. WWF Italia has gathered scientific evidence about the acoustic pollution in the Pelagos Sanctuary. The collaboration with CIMA Research Foundation will enhance the activity for the defense of the sea. In 2020, we will also start a specific program for cetaceans monitoring, thanks to a new community, that will set sail in the next months, the “Vele del panda”. On board, biologists and researchers will be able to gather data through acoustic and visual surveys, photo-identifications, study of behavior, acoustic pollution analysis and marine litter monitoring”.
“The marine environment is a fundamental resource for our activities, but at the same time these can be a threat for the sea. Goal 14 of the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development is dedicated to the protection of marine life, while goal 17 highlights the importance of partnership. The memorandum of understanding signed with WWF Italia combines these two goals and represents something in which our Foundation strongly believes, the sharing of knowledge and tools for working effectively for a more sustainable world”, says Moulins.