7th August, 2009
The International Monk Seal Conservation Alliance (i-monk Alliance), formed in November last year, has launched its own website at www.i-monk.org.
The Alliance, composed of research and conservation organisations from across the range of the species, is currently developing a number of practical initiatives to improve conservation measures for Europe’s most endangdered marine mammal, the Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus. Current organisational members include CBD-Habitat (Fundación para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y su Hábitat) of Spain, IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), MOm (The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal) of Greece, The Monachus Guardian (an international journal and website dedicated to monk seals), The Parque Natural da Madeira of Portugal, and SAD-AFAG (Underwater Research Society/ Mediterranean Seal Research Group) of Turkey.
26th July, 2009
MOm (the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal) has announced the publication of a national conservation strategy for the species to be implemented between 2009 and 2015.
Prepared by marine mammalogist Giuseppe Notarbaratolo di Sciara in association with MOm’s own researchers, the Strategy has now been submitted to the Greek authorities and the European Commission, in the hope that its various recommendations will be officially adopted and implemented.
The report can be downloaded from MOm’s website.
Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., S. Adamantopoulou, E. Androukaki, P. Dendrinos, A.A. Karamanlidis, V. Paravas, S. Kotomatas. 2009. National strategy and action plan for the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal in Greece, 2009 – 2015. MOm, Athens: 1–19.
22nd June, 2009
© i-monk Alliance
The International Monk Seal Conservation Alliance (known by its abbreviation, i-monk) held its second regular meeting in Gököva Bay, Turkey on 11-12 June 2009. Gököva Bay is the site of an integrated coastal zone management plan being implemented by i-monk Alliance member SAD-AFAG in association with Turkey’s Environment Protection Agency for Special Areas (EPASA).
i-monk Alliance participants at Gököva Bay. © SAD-AFAG
Formally established last year, the i-monk Alliance aims to strengthen ties between monk seal conservation and research projects from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Atlantic, developing common strategies in conservation policy and operational protocols [see International Alliance takes shape in Madeira, TMG 11 (2): November 2008]. Founding and current members are CBD-Habitat (Fundación para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y su Hábitat) of Spain, IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), MOm (The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal) of Greece, The Monachus Guardian (an international journal and website dedicated to monk seals and their threatened habitats), the Parque Natural da Madeira of Portugal and SAD-AFAG (Underwater Research Society / Mediterranean Seal Research Group) of Turkey.
The Gököva Bay meeting ended with participants agreeing a raft of measures to enhance international coordination, design common operational protocols, develop joint projects, and improve public outreach and lobbying.
