MEDASSET’s Director, Mr. G. Sampson participated in the 14th Meeting of Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Thematic Focal Points, held in Portorož in Slovenia 18 – 21 June 2019 and organized by RAC/SPA (Regional Activity Center of Specially Protected Areas) (UNEP/MAP).
Through his attendance at this very important meeting, Mr. Sampson presented the work of MEDASSET for the protection of Sea Turtles in the Mediterranean Region, giving feedback on the threats that continue to exist and calling on countries to take further conservation action. MEDASSET is a partner of the United Nations Environment Program’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and a Permanent Observer-Member to the Bern Convention, Council of Europe, since 1988.
Currently MEDASSET is implementing together with other NGOs three regional projects for the protection of Sea Turtles in the Mediterranean region funded by the MAVA Foundation , namely: 1) Conservation of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean Region (Albania and Egypt), 2) Μ4-BYCATCH «Understanding Mediterranean Multi-Taxa ‘BYCATCH’ of Vulnerable Species and Testing Mitigation- a Collaborative Approach (Turkey) 3) M4 Species Knowledge: Support Mechanism for Filling Key Knowledge gaps for Vulnerable Species Impacted by Fisheries in Selected Areas of the Mediterranean.
Also MEDASSET implements in Greece a very important EU Interreg Program dedicated to marine pollution in the Mediterranean. The project aims to produce a joint protocol for the monitoring of marine pollution together with improvements in the management of protected areas: MEDSEALITTER: Collaborative Research Programme to combat Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean (Greece).
The 14th Meeting of Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Thematic Focal Points aimed, among others, at demonstrating the progress made in the following critical agenda items:
- Updating of regional strategy and action plan for the conservation of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Evaluation of the impact of marine litter on the most representative marine species in the framework of the Marine Litter Regional Plan.
- The 2017-2019 MAVA projects implemented by SPA/RAC and its Partners in the Mediterranean region.
- Implementation of the first phase (2016-2019) of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Program (IMAP – Biodiversity and nonindigenous species) in the framework of the EcAp Roadmap.
- IMAP information system platform related to biodiversity and nonindigenous species cluster
- Update on the elaboration of the chapters on marine and coastal biodiversity of the report on the State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean 2019 (SoED 2019)
- Draft Programme of work of SPA/RAC for the biennium 2020-2021
With roots back to 1983, MEDASSET was founded in 1988 in England and 1993 in Greece. It is an international NGO registered as a not-for profit organisation in Greece. MEDASSET plays an active role in the study and conservation of sea turtles and their habitats throughout the Mediterranean, through scientific research, environmental education, lobbying relevant decision makers and raising public awareness. The organisation is a partner to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and a Permanent Observer-Member to the Bern Convention, Council of Europe, since 1988.
