New Search

If you are not happy with the results below please do another search

MEDASSET’s 2015 habitat assessment leads to important international decisions

Blog Post
Authors: Liza Boura, Vassilis Stamogiannis Monitoring the conservation status of sea turtle nesting beaches in the Mediterranean is one of MEDASSET’s key activities since 1988. We present our findings and recommendations to national and international authorities, such as the European Commission and the Bern Convention, to bring international attention to local conservation problems and encourage governments to take action. Read about the Bern Convention Case File system here. For the 27th year in succession, MEDASSET participated in the annual meeting of the Bern Convention at the Council of Europe (35th Standing Committee Meeting, Strasbourg, France, 1-4 December 2015). We presented... read more →

Sea Turtle & Conservation Assessment in Bardawil, Egypt

Portfolio Item
In 2012, in response to news of high numbers of dead sea turtles in Bardawil Lake, a rapid survey was carried out in November 2012 by MEDASSET and NGO Nature Conservation Egypt, in collaboration with Dr. M. El-Alwany of the Suez Canal University, staff of the local fisheries and conservation authorities, who first documented the sea turtle carcasses. We issued a report in 2013 with our findings and recommendations. To further promote conservation of Bardawil and its sea turtles, we presented the report and discussed next steps at a stakeholder meeting, jointly organised with Nature Conservation Egypt in Cairo, in... read more →

Kyparissia: The largest reproductive nesting site for the Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean

Portfolio Item
Kyparissia Bay is a designated NATURA 2000 site located in Greece, on the Western Peloponnese coastline. It exhibits a high ecological value due to the presence of an extensive dune ecosystem and one of the most significant nesting sites of the Caretta caretta turtle in the Mediterranean Sea, an endangered species as listed in the 92/43/EU Directive, in need of strict protection (annexes II and IV).  Approximately 82% of the nesting activity at Kyparissia Bay occurs along a 10km stretch of beach between the estuaries of the rivers Neda and Arkadikos. For reference, there were approximately 1.452 nests in 2013,... read more →

Fishing

Blog Post
Turtles migrate across seas extensively throughout their lives, and come into contact with a great deal of fishing activity, much of it potentially lethal. In the Mediterranean, twenty-one countries fish over an area that is less than 2 percent the total surface of the Pacific Ocean.[1] In the first half of the 20th century, Mediterranean turtle populations were severely exploited by fisheries targeting turtles for trade. Nowadays, illegal consumption or trade of sea turtles is no longer a major conservation issue in the Mediterranean (unlike other parts of the world). Legislation today protects against the intentional harvest of turtles at... read more →

Turkey: Protecting Important Sea Turtle Nesting Habitats

Portfolio Item
Turkey’s location between three continents means it hosts a wide variety of habitats and great diversity of wildlife. The Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey hosts numerous loggerhead and green sea turtle breeding beaches. Along the entire Mediterranean coast of Turkey, sea turtles use marine habitats for overwintering, mating and feeding (e.g. Gulf of İskenderun, Yumurtalik Bay and Cukurova area). Leatherbacks have been occasionally reported by fishermen or found dead on Turkish shores. Since 1988, MEDASSET monitors the situation on these nesting beaches, has published reports, highlighted threats, and made recommendations to conserve these habitats. Our advocacy work in Turkey has... read more →

2014 sea turtle habitat assessment leads to Bern Convention decisions

Blog Post
MEDASSET urges governments to protect important sea turtle habitats in the Mediterranean Monitoring the conservation status of important sea turtle nesting beaches in the Mediterranean is one of MEDASSET’s key activities since 1988. We present our findings and recommendations to national and international authorities, such as the Bern Convention, to bring international attention to local conservation problems and encourage governments to take action. Find out more about the Bern Convention Case File system here. For the 26th year in succession, MEDASSET participated in the annual... read more →

Ocean2012: Transforming European Fisheries Policies to End Overfishing

Portfolio Item
Ending overfishing and the blind spend In 2012 MEDASSET joined OCEAN2012, a coalition of organisations across Europe dedicated to transforming European fisheries policies to end overfishing, stop destructive fishing practices and deliver fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks. We encouraged leaders - namely the members of the European Parliament and EU Ministers - to make support a ground-breaking reform that will ensure healthy seas by 2020. We asked leaders to discontinue measures and subsidies that fuel overfishing and instead support investment in smarter instead of more fishing. Citizens played a major role in encouraging decision makers to... read more →

Paint a Fish

Portfolio Item
In 2013 pupils in Europe had a chance to have their say on the future of our fish stocks! From October 2012 to December 2013, MEDASSET was a major supporter of the Paint a Fish campaign in Greece. Through our educational programmes and public events young people were encouraged to paint a fish, as a symbolic gesture to help replenish our fish stocks. The creative campaign was an effective way to mobilise school children, as well as the wider public across Europe, to have their say in favour of sustainable fisheries. The colourful "virtual fish stock" was translated into... read more →