29.07.2010

El Sallum, the first Egyptian MPA in the Mediterranean

Egypt's prime Minister declared the first Mediterranean MPA on 27 February 2010 in accordance to the Egyptian law for Natural Protectorates (102/1983) and at the request of the minister of state for environmental affairs Eng. Magid George. It is the 28th nature protectorate in Egypt but the first on the Mediterranean coast. 

Located in the Gulf of Sallum on the western coast close to the border with Libya, the area is one of the last nearly pristine area remaining in the Egyptian Mediterranean. It includes exceptional biodiversity and a unique cultural heritage that are unfortunately subject to increasing pressures and threats from the rapid development of economic activities. 

The process 

The declaration process started in 1998 when the National Planning System of Protected Areas in Egypt first proposed to declare the Sallum gulf as a protected area. In November 2008, IUCN agreed to support the preparation of a request for a declaration document for the Sallum Marine Protected Area (MPA) on behalf of the Nature Conservation Sector (NCS) of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA). An Egyptian environmental consultancy firm (Environics) was contracted to provide the technical assistance required for the preparation of the declaration document. 

The proposed MPA was covering an area of roughly 1000 Km2, most of which offshore. The coastal and terrestrial section of the proposed protected area is approximately 80 Km2, which has been delineated and identified as a buffer zone to protect the marine environment from land-based activities. The inclusion of a coastal and terrestrial section into the MPA was subjected to many constraints; land tenure and war remnants being the most significant.

Accordingly, it was concluded that the terrestrial section would be reduced at this stage, from what was sought for by the NCS pending a change in circumstances allowing its expansion. The protected area finally declared covers 380 Km², mainly offshore, with a coastal area covering the first 500m of the coast. 

Exceptional biodiversity 

The protected area entails unique habitats and geographical features including tidal flats, sand dunes, ridges, salt depressions, and coastal plains, in addition to sensitive marine ecosystems, including sea grass meadows, shallow and intermediate depth marine habitats. 

The area includes exceptional biodiversity supported by diverse habitats and ecosystems. The landscape-seascape interaction, on the other hand, provides extraordinary scenic views that do not exist elsewhere in Egypt. Recent surveys have recorded the presence of a rich biodiversity counting many species, some of which being of global concern: over 160 species of resident and migratory avifauna, over 30 species of reptiles and amphibians, over 30 species of mammals, 57 species of macrobenthic organisms belonging to 7 phyla, at least 55 commercial marine species including molluscs, crustaceans and fish. 5 marine species are of special and global concern: 2 species are listed on Annex II of Barcelona (SPA) convention, the Ophidiaster ophidianus (echinoderms), and the Pinna nobilis of (mollusca) and 3 species are listed on Annex III (species whose exploitation is regulated), the Hippospongia communis (which is also listed on Annex II) and the Spongia zimocca and Spongia officinalis. 

Objectives 

The Sallum MPA was created with a marine biodiversity conservation objective in mind but also aims at supporting the sustainable economic development of the area. 

Sallum is a developing regional trading center. Urban development, the rapid growth of fisheries, agriculture and quarrying industries and the growth of the local population have dangerously increased the impacts of pollution and waste disposal on the marine biodiversity. 

The MPA plans to restore and rehabilitate depleted resources while monitoring environmental resources and actively managing any environmental risk. Sustainability and local population involvement is also at the heart of the project. Creating an active balance between the requirements of economic development and biodiversity conservation will be the challenge of the upcoming management plan. 

Tourism, which is just only starting in the area, is also a priority for local authorities. One of the aims of the MPA is to promote and encourage the development of ecotourism. This will be implemented while preserving and supporting the unique cultural heritage of the Bedouin communities, which make up 70% of the local population. 

Next steps 

The management plan of El Sallum is being drafted and relies on the efficient MPA legal framework. Zoning and community participation have been identified as the most important aspects of this work and are already underway. 

Three zones have been proposed: core, buffer, and transition. The management plan will delineate the different zones based on biodiversity data, objectives of the MPA, as well as the socioeconomic conditions of local communities. Activities allowed in each zone will follow specific management objectives. 

Community participation is a crucial success factor. El Sallum local communities acceptance has already been confirmed at an early stage during socio economic surveys and community participation workshops; this approach will continue during the development of the management plan. 

The NCS has always encouraged local communities to participate in the planning and management process, especially where there are potential resource conflicts. The South Sinai and Red Sea Protectorates have during the last 20 years been involved in supporting local communities. The Sallum MPA will undoubtedly benefit from this experience.