adopted by Birdlife International and the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) (only in
countries of the European Union) and Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs)
adopted by IUCN (2016). The biosphere reserves (e.g. Cabo de Gata-Níjar, Intercontinental of the Mediterranean) recognized by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme are areas made up of terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems.
The objectives of this UNESCO programme are to promote solutions to reconcile the
conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use, economic development,
research and education. Global Geoparks, also recognized by the UNESCO
(e.g. Cabo de Gata-Níjar), are single, unified geographical areas where sites and
landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic
concept of protection, education and sustainable development. Their bottom-up
approach of combining conservation with sustainable development while involving
local communities is becoming increasingly popular. The Ramsar Convention aims
for the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions
and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable
development throughout the world. In the Alboran Sea, this convention has recognized three Ramsar sites in Spain (Cabo de Gata-Níjar, Punta Entinas-Sabinar,
Albufera de Adra) and another three in Morocco (Cape Trois Fourches, Sebkha
Bou Areg, mouth of river Moulouya). Another figure is the Specially Protected
Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) that are areas declared under the
Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the
Mediterranean (SPA/BD 1995) under the Convention for the Protection of the
Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (also known as
Barcelona Convention 1995). These SPAMIs guarantee the survival of the biological values and resources of the Mediterranean Sea, since they contain typical
ecosystems of the Mediterranean area or habitats of endangered species, which
have a special scientific, aesthetic or cultural interest. It is also important to highlight
the ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) recognized by the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In 2009, the ninth meeting of the CBD
COP9 adopted different scientific criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically
significant marine areas in need of protection in open-ocean waters and deep-sea
habitats (Malcolm et al. 2014). The Regional Workshop of the Mediterranean region
agreed on the description of 17 areas meeting EBSA criteria, among them the Strait
of Gibraltar, Alboran Sea and connected Spanish, Moroccan, and Algerian areas. In
2014, despite the positive results of this workshop, the COP12 of CBD governments
has not reached an agreement in the same direction; therefore, to date, it appears that
the creation of an EBSA area in the Alboran Sea is not feasible. Talamo and Riera
(2019) aimed to renew and underline the importance and value added in creating an
EBSA to support more and better cooperation in the policies of conservation and
sustainable development of the Mediterranean Sea. A recent concept is the Peace
Park which is defined as “transboundary protected areas that are formally dedicated
to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and of natural and associated cultural resources, and to the promotion of peace and cooperation” (Sandwith
et al. 2001). In 2010, during the Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration
Scientifique de la mer Méditerranée (CIESM) workshop in Siracusa (Italy), eight
822
Á. Mateo-Ramírez et al.
countries of the European Union) and Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs)
adopted by IUCN (2016). The biosphere reserves (e.g. Cabo de Gata-Níjar, Intercontinental of the Mediterranean) recognized by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme are areas made up of terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems.
The objectives of this UNESCO programme are to promote solutions to reconcile the
conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use, economic development,
research and education. Global Geoparks, also recognized by the UNESCO
(e.g. Cabo de Gata-Níjar), are single, unified geographical areas where sites and
landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic
concept of protection, education and sustainable development. Their bottom-up
approach of combining conservation with sustainable development while involving
local communities is becoming increasingly popular. The Ramsar Convention aims
for the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions
and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable
development throughout the world. In the Alboran Sea, this convention has recognized three Ramsar sites in Spain (Cabo de Gata-Níjar, Punta Entinas-Sabinar,
Albufera de Adra) and another three in Morocco (Cape Trois Fourches, Sebkha
Bou Areg, mouth of river Moulouya). Another figure is the Specially Protected
Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) that are areas declared under the
Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the
Mediterranean (SPA/BD 1995) under the Convention for the Protection of the
Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (also known as
Barcelona Convention 1995). These SPAMIs guarantee the survival of the biological values and resources of the Mediterranean Sea, since they contain typical
ecosystems of the Mediterranean area or habitats of endangered species, which
have a special scientific, aesthetic or cultural interest. It is also important to highlight
the ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) recognized by the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In 2009, the ninth meeting of the CBD
COP9 adopted different scientific criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically
significant marine areas in need of protection in open-ocean waters and deep-sea
habitats (Malcolm et al. 2014). The Regional Workshop of the Mediterranean region
agreed on the description of 17 areas meeting EBSA criteria, among them the Strait
of Gibraltar, Alboran Sea and connected Spanish, Moroccan, and Algerian areas. In
2014, despite the positive results of this workshop, the COP12 of CBD governments
has not reached an agreement in the same direction; therefore, to date, it appears that
the creation of an EBSA area in the Alboran Sea is not feasible. Talamo and Riera
(2019) aimed to renew and underline the importance and value added in creating an
EBSA to support more and better cooperation in the policies of conservation and
sustainable development of the Mediterranean Sea. A recent concept is the Peace
Park which is defined as “transboundary protected areas that are formally dedicated
to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and of natural and associated cultural resources, and to the promotion of peace and cooperation” (Sandwith
et al. 2001). In 2010, during the Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration
Scientifique de la mer Méditerranée (CIESM) workshop in Siracusa (Italy), eight
822
Á. Mateo-Ramírez et al.