The Permanent Secretariats of the ACCOBAMS and Pelagos Agreements sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the protection of cetaceans

The Permanent Secretariats of the ACCOBAMS and Pelagos Agreements for the protection of cetaceans, sign a memorandum of understanding on the occasion of the Monaco Ocean Week, in the presence of S.A.S Prince Albert II of Monaco and from Mrs. Ségolène Royal, guest of honor.

April 10 in Monaco, in the heart of Monaco Ocean Week – a week dedicated to the preservation of the oceans – the Permanent Secretariats of the Agreements
ACCOBAMS and Pelagos, welcomed by the Principality of Monaco in the framework of a headquarters, have signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize their partnership and harmonize the efforts required of the member countries in terms of protection of cetaceans.

The ACCOBAMS area contains several protection areas for cetaceans. The most important and emblematic is the Pelagos Sanctuary whose management is ensured by France, Italy and the Principality of Monaco through their commitments to through the Agreement on the establishment in the Mediterranean of a Sanctuary for marine mammals (Pelagos Agreement). Pilot area of ​​ACCOBAMS Sanctuary Pelagos undertakes, through this memorandum, to facilitate the implementation of the resolutions taken within the framework of ACCOBAMS, in particular through initiatives innovative technologies that will subsequently be adopted and implemented by the member ACCOBAMS and promoted across borders.

This signature follows the recent reception in the Principality of the Secretariat’s headquarters the Pelagos Agreement and took place at the Fishermen’s Gallery, in presence of His Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, Minister Ségolène Royal, Ambassador for the Poles, Mrs Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Executive Secretary of ACCOBAMS, Mr. Cyril Gomez, Chairman of the Meeting of the Parties to the Pelagos Agreement, Mrs. Fannie Dubois, Executive Secretary of the Pelagos Agreement.

At the same time, ACCOBAMS, Pelagos, and their partner the CIMA Research Foundation, inaugurated their multi-media photographic exhibition on cetaceans,
outcome – for a part – of the “Pelagos Noise” project on the estimated impact of noise from sperm whale and Cuvier’s beaked whale (ziphius).

Mediterranean whales and dolphins await you at the Fishermen’s Gallery until May 4, 2018.