MEPC.380(80): Designation of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area

The International Maritime Organization designated the North-Western Mediterranean Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area.

Resolution MEPC.380(80) was adopted on 7 July 2023.

Foreword

The Marine Environment Protection Committee, recalling Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Marine Environment Protection Committee conferred upon it by international conventions for the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,

Being aware of the ecological criteria, in particular relating to uniqueness or rarity, critical habitat, dependency, fragility and bio-geographic criteria, and the social, economic and cultural, and scientific and educational criteria of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea Area as well as its vulnerability to damage by international shipping activities and the steps taken by France, Italy, Monaco, and Spain to address that vulnerability,

Noting the Revised guidelines for the identification and designation of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas adopted by resolution A.982(24) as amended by resolution MEPC.267(68), (Revised PSSA Guidelines), and the Guidance document for submission of PSSA proposals to IMO set forth in MEPC.1/Circ.510,

Noting also the Guidance document for minimizing the risk of ship strikes with cetaceans (MEPC.1/Circ.674) sets out a number of measures to reduce the risk of collision between large cetaceans and ships,

Having agreed that the criteria for the identification and designation of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) provided in the Revised PSSA Guidelines are fulfilled for the North-Western Mediterranean Sea,

Having noted that the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications, and Search and Rescue (NCSR) at its tenth session agreed a set of draft recommended associated protective measures (APMs) within a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea, which address ship strikes with cetaceans, and that the Maritime Safety Committee, at its one-hundredth and seventh session, agreed that these APMs could be referred by the NCSR Sub-Committee directly to MEPC 80, taking into account the general nature of the APMs, aiming at information-sharing primarily for contributing to the protection of the marine environment,

1. Designates the North-Western Mediterranean Sea, as defined in annex 1, as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area;
2. Invites Member Governments to recognize the ecological, socio-economic and scientific criteria of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea area, set forth in annex 2 to the present resolution, as well as its vulnerability to damage by international shipping activities, as described in annex 3 to this resolution;
3. Also invites Member Governments to note the associated protective measures established to address the area's vulnerability, the details of which are contained in annex 4 to this resolution, and request ships flying their flag that they act in accordance with such measures.

Annex 1: Description of the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area

To minimize the risk of ship strikes with cetaceans and ship-generated pollution and to protect the area's unique and threatened species as well as to preserve as far as practicable its critical habitat and diversity, mariners should exercise extreme care when navigating in the area bounded by the geographical coordinates of the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area, provided below, and adhere to the Associated Protective Measures set out in annex 4.

The North-Western Mediterranean Sea Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (NW Med PSSA) is located between the coastline of France, Italy, Monaco, and Spain and is defined by a line encompassing the following coordinates:

A 38° 39' 59.379" N 000° 6'0.000" E
B 38° 39' 59.379" N 000° 47' 59.476" E
C 38° 50' 03.331" N 001° 00' 00.398" E
D 39° 19' 01.812" N 001° 00' 25.212" E
E 39° 28' 42.075" N 001° 40' 02.495" E
F 39° 51' 21.986" N 002° 16' 09.853" E
G 40° 34' 13.067" N 004° 04' 31.926" E
H 40° 58' 0.000" N 008° 12'0.000" E
I 41° 09' 10.800" N 009° 31'10.800" E
J 42° 21' 14.400" N 011° 31'0.000" E

To be noted, from H (Falcoe Cape) to I (Ferro Cape) the south boundary follows the coastline of Sardinia. Coordinates are provided by the WGS84 datum.

*The text in this annex is taken from the information provided by France, Italy, Monaco, and Spain in document MEPC 79/10.

This area encompasses the existing Spanish "Mediterranean Cetacean Migration Corridor" and the Pelagos Sanctuary defined as such:

A – "Mediterranean Cetacean Migration Corridor"

ID Longitude (ETRS-89) Latitude (ETRS-89)

1. 003° 39' 02.002''E 42° 18' 57.294'' N
2. 003° 39' 02.026''E 41° 54' 15.252'' N
3. 003° 30' 32.060''E 41° 37' 36.567'' N
4. 003° 15' 18.370''E 41° 23' 05.374'' N
5. 001° 34' 43.766''E 40° 42' 21.785'' N
6. 000° 33' 27.757''E 40° 00' 55.698'' N
7. 000° 20' 21.559''E 39° 30' 07.070'' N
8. 000° 20' 21.559''E 38° 49' 44.729'' N
9. 000° 30' 05.254''E 38° 39' 59.379'' N
10. 000° 47' 59.476''E 38° 39' 59.379'' N
11. 001° 00' 00.398''E 38° 50' 03.331'' N
12. 001° 00' 25.212''E 39° 19' 01.812'' N
13. 001° 40' 02.495''E 39° 28' 42.075'' N
14. 002° 16' 09.853''E 39° 51' 21.986'' N
15. 004° 04' 31.926''E 40° 34' 13.067'' N
16. 004° 33' 24.766''E 41° 06' 51.050'' N

B – Pelagos Sanctuary

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

MEPC.380(80): Designation of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area