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Overview

Threats

WWF's Involvement

WWF Achievements

Selected WWF Projects in the Mediterranean Region


 
WWF Achievements

Since 1994 WWF can say that it has effectively penetrated every country in the region through its Across the Waters grants programme, which provides small grants to local organizations working to achieve similar conservation objectives. More significantly, the scheme has enabled the Across the Waters office to establish a comprehensive database of more than 2,000 conservation bodies in the region a vital source of partner organizations.

In the Mediterranean one cannot look at conservation in isolation from communities. The invaluable cultural heritage in this part of the world is such that years of living with nature has taught its people a great deal about their natural environment. Some communities have been able to establish a very steady equilibrium between their activities and the environment. Unfortunately, in many instances, population pressure and short sighted economic interests have replaced some of these valuable traditions.

Through its CADISPA (Community and Development in Sparsely Populated Areas) programme, WWF has attempted to re-kindle traditional eco-friendly production methods. In Cilento, Italy, WWF worked with a local farmers' cooperative to produce environmentally-friendly olive oil. The Swiss Panda Shop catalogue (March 1995) marketed this eco-product, and in three weeks the whole 1994 production of a total two tonnes had been sold! This success was very important at the local level, as it convinced other farmers to convert their pesticides-assisted production to organic production. In 1996, the entire production of 10 tonnes is being sold through several WWF catalogues.

WWF's work with respect to sea turtles in the Mediterranean has been particularly noteworthy. The sea turtle is a stubborn animal whose instinct tells it to return to its birthplace to lay its eggs. If for some reason it cannot, say because of noisy tourists or too much light from hotels, it simply will not reproduce. Given that only one in a thousand eggs reaches maturity, and it takes thirty years before a female can reproduce, it is easy to imagine that the slightest disturbance will very quickly become a threat for this highly sensitive species. WWF has been involved at various levels with respect to the sea turtles (both the loggerhead, Caretta caretta and the green turtle, Chelonia mydas).

In terms of scientific monitoring of threats to the sea turtle and its interaction with fishermen, WWF has supported the work of a French consultant who undertook a series of missions to the eastern and southern Mediterranean to explore this less well known part of the turtle's habitat. He discovered that the Libyan coast, which is free of tourist facilities, is a particular haven for the nesting loggerhead sea turtles with a density of nests probably exceeding any other Mediterranean site.

In Greece, on the island of Zakynthos, Sekania beach has an incredible density of turtle nests, reaching up to 2,000 per kilometre. Because of its conservation significance, WWF decided to buy the beach and to compensate local landowners in order to avoid infrastructure developments which were bound to adversely affect the nesting turtles. The European Union has supported WWF's work with US$1.3 million out of the required US$4.3 million. WWF-Greece has undertaken a massive public awareness campaign to raise the remaining funds to protect the beach.

At the international level, WWF produced in June 1995 a comprehensive series of proposals for the revision of the Barcelona Convention, a pan-Mediterranean protection agreement. Out of 38 proposals, 34 were accepted by the parties.

WWF must move fast in the Mediterranean. Some critical issues involve tourism, freshwater problems, and the building of local capacity in the southern and eastern Mediterranean. There is a recognized need to work closely with local partners to reverse the current trends. All of the critical problems in the Mediterranean region have more than one direct or indirect cause, which is why they are complex and their potential repercussions tremendous. WWF is in a unique position to attack the problems from different angles in an effort to circumvent them before it is too late.