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ACCOBAMS
An international agreement for marine One of the agreement’s innovative aspects is
biodiversity to extend its application to all countries whose
ships operate in the area and whose activities
The Agreement on the Conservation of may jeopardize cetaceans. The agreement
Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea is part of global processes in sea and ocean
and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) is conservation.
an intergovernmental cooperation tool for the
conservation of marine biodiversity. In order to improve knowledge on marine
This Agreement embodies riparian countries’ biodiversity and to offer countries credible
commitment to preserve all species of cetaceans and acceptable conservation measures, the
and their habitats by applying measures to agreement relies on a Permanent Secretariat
mitigate impacts of economic activities. (based in Monaco), a Scientific Committee and
a Monitoring Committee tracking application of
ACCOBAMS responds to the need these measures.
expressed by four international, European
and Mediterranean Conventions specialized in Conservation measures include:
the conservation of marine biodiversity and in • Obligations to prohibit all voluntary capture;
protection of the marine environment: to reduce accidental capture of cetaceans in
• the Barcelona Convention for the Protection fishing nets; to conduct impact assessments
of the Marine Environment and the Coastal for all activities liable to affect cetaceans and
Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocol to reinforce the fight against pollution;
concerning Specially Protected Areas and • The evaluation and management of
Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean, interactions between human activity and
• the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of cetaceans (fishing, pollution and waste,
Migratory Species, underwater noise from all sources, collisions
• the Bern Convention on the Conservation of with ships, tourist activity...);
European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, • Protection of habitats, namely by creating
• the Bucharest Convention on the Protection Specially Protected Areas and by
of the Black Sea Against Pollution. maintaining migration corridors;
• Research and monitoring to justify
The agreement was concluded under the conservation measures and improve their
auspices of the Bonn Convention, signed in effectiveness;
Monaco on November 24, 1996 and came into • Capacity building to enable effective
effect on June 1, 2001.The Agreement Area implementation of conservation measures and
consists of the maritime waters of the Black the collection of relevant data;
Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic • Information, training and education
area west of the Straits of Gibraltar (this area programmes for the public and for
was extended in 2010 to the entire Portuguese professionals;
and Spanish Atlantic coast). 23 countries are • Emergency response capability for the
currently engaged in these conservation activities rescue of wounded, ill or stranded animals
alongside most of the international organizations and follow-up for improving scientific
working on the marine environment and on understanding of the causes of such events.
management of the region’s living resources.
https://accobams.org