MEETING OF SECRETARIAT AND CHAIRMEN OF IUCN NATIONAL COMMITTEES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
30 June - 2 July 2005, Arles (France)

IUCN-Med seeks to maintain fluid relations with IUCN members in the Mediterranean region through a regular consultation with Chairmen of National committees, representing the 150 members in the region. This meeting was hosted by Tour du Valat in the Camargue and by the French National Committee of IUCN.
The principal themes discussed include the national structures and activities of the different national committees and it is evident that as the membership grows, the national activities become more significant. As examples, the French and Spanish national committees hold annual conferences open to a wide audience - the Tunisian and Moroccan national committees are undertaking studies to review the economic value of use of natural resources. The Jordan committee The Jordan committee has proposed a process for North-South exchange on renewable energy issues, and the Italian committee is actively involved in Countdown 2010. the Spanish. French and Italian committees all have websites. The meeting provided a platform for information exchange among the IUCN members in the Mediterranean, and promoted linkages for the development of joined activities. It was suggested that one good mechanism to mobilize members and committees at national level was to organise an annual public Forum where national issues of relevance to biodiversity and natural resources management could be raised and discussed. The discussions will also inform the planned global meeting of the forty five or so IUCN National committees from around the world planned for next year.
The meeting also discussed the very positive results of the external review of IUCN-Med carried out in late 2004, better interactions between membership and secretariat, as well as specific issues related to implementation of Bangkok resolutions (numbers 34, 39 52, and 70) related to the Mediterranean region.

ALIEN SPECIES, UNWELCOME GUESTS!
17 June 2005

The globalisation and growth in the volume of trade and tourism, coupled with the emphasis on free trade, provide more opportunities than ever before for exotic species to be spread accidentally or deliberately. Those species have highly been introduced to Mediterranean-type ecosystems and have had a major impact on their rich biodiversity. Hidden by their inoffensive aspect, their beauty or their inconspicuousness, some invasive plants hide their true nature; a conquering temperament and a terrific capacity for adaptation, which has led them to invade natural habitats. The impacts of these invasive plants are numerous - on the environment (they are the second cause of loss of biodiversity after habitat destruction), on human activities (agriculture, pastoral activities), on health (allergies), and on the landscape.

BUILDING A MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS NETWORK
10 May 2005, Sevilla - Spain.

A proposal for five marine protected areas to become Special Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMIS) will be presented in the next Conference of the Parties within the Barcelona Convention (Nov 2005), after having been examined by the Seventh Meeting of National Focal Points for Specially Protected Areas (Working Documents) held in Seville from 29th May to 1st June 2005. The proposed SPAMIS are: The Banc des Kabyles Marine reserve (Algeria) -The Cap de Garde M.R. (Algeria) -The Habibas Islands (Algeria) -The Rachgoun Island (Algeria) -The Portofino Marine Protected Area (Italy).
During the National Focal Points Meeting, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) organized a side event on 'Evaluation of Protected Areas' bringing examples from World Heritage sites thanks to IUCN's role as technical Advisory Body to the World Heritage Committee on Natural Heritage, as well as other examples from Ramsar sites, in order to provide inputs to developing criteria to monitor marine protected areas in the Mediterranean. IUCN-Med is contributing to the Barcelona Convention by building links with the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA). A meeting to discuss and propose a set of criteria for the choice of species that could be included in or excluded from annexes II and III to the Specially Protected Areas Protocol was organized by the Centre last December in Malaga. Furthermore, IUCN-Med is developing activities relevant to the objectives of the Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of Biological Diversity (SAP-BIO) in the Mediterranean such as: sustainable aquaculture, Mediterranean deep-seas, ecosystem approach to Mediterranean fisheries, red lists for amphibians, reptiles, freshwater fishes and sharks in the Mediterranean, and the distribution of the basking shark.

GUIDEBOOK ON BIRDS OF THE PARQUE TECNOLOGICO OF ANDALUSIA RELEASED
6 June 2005

Working on a environment of technology or service can be compatible with enjoying nature. From now on workers of the Parque Tecnologico of Andalusia (PTA) located in Malaga (Spain) will have a guidebood on birds allow them to discover more than one hundred birds homing at the PTA. This publication has been promoted by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Parque Tecnológico of Andalusia, the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO-Birdlife) and the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa of the regional government of Andalucia. The framework of this initiative is the project Working in green: improvement of the working environment in the Parque Tecnologico of Andalucia (Trabajando en verde: mejora del entorno laboral de los trabajadores del Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía), supported by 15 companies from the PTA. This project aims to promote the participation of the private sector in nature conservation, particularly to create a culture among PTA companies and workers that highlights the importance of nature, of respect for the environment and of biodiversity conservation through taking care of our surrounding natural environment.

MEMBER NEWS from Aula del Mar - Spain

BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERS
May 2005, Malaga - Spain

If, by any chance, while you are swimming this summer in the Andalusia waters and find a marine animal exhausted, unable to dive or floating on the surface, and nearly stranded on the beach, you will know what to do thanks to the Manual recently published by the Centre for the Recovery of Threatened Marine Species (CREMA). The coastline of Andalusia stretches across 1000 kms from the Atlantic side (Huelva) to the Mediterranean beaches of Cabo de Gata (province of Almeria). It stands out as a unique area where the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters clash. The different conditions between the two seas creates a range of diverse ecosystems. However these ecosystems suffer from human-induced pressures such as tourism, pollution and over-fishing. Over the years, many marine species, such as dolphin, whales, sharks and turtles, are stranded in the Andalusia waters, or incidentally caught by fishermen. In order to increase awareness of the problems faced by the species and develop protectionist attitudes, the Centre for the Recovery of Threatened Marine Species (CREMA) run by the Aula del Mar NGO has recently launched a Manual of best practice for environmental volunteers on how to deal with marine animals that might end up stranded along the coast.

NEW REPORT: SHIP BALLAST WATER AS A MAIN VECTOR OF MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
4 July 2005

Marine invasive species are currently recognized as one of the most significant threats to global biodiversity. Marine bioinvasions are more likely in the Mediterranean Sea because of its wide temperature range, degraded habitats, historical and high volume of
shipping traffic, and high occurrence of aquaculture. One of the main vectors of marine
introductions globally and Mediterranean-wide is commercial shipping. Of the 3,000-
4,000 species transferred around the world via commercial vessels, approximately 30%
of these species may have been redistributed in the Mediterranean. Ships and marine
invasive species arriving in the Mediterranean are mainly from temperate to cold-water
regions. Standardized research and management approaches between countries are required to address the threat of ballast water borne marine invasives on a global scale.
Regionally, a Mediterranean program involving the different states is currently needed
to develop a common line of research and management operations.