Mediterranean Migratory Birds Initiative

Mediterranean Migratory Birds Initiative
Name	Mediterranean Migratory Birds Initiative
Formation	2015
Headquarters	Rome
Location	Mediterranean Basin
Leader title	Coordinating Body
Leader name	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Mediterranean Migratory Birds Initiative The Mediterranean Migratory Birds Initiative is a regional conservation programme launched to promote the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats across the Mediterranean Sea basin. It operates as a partnership platform linking international organizations, national agencies, scientific institutions and non-governmental organizations to implement site-based, flyway-scale and species-specific measures. The initiative builds on global frameworks and regional instruments to coordinate actions across continents linked by migratory pathways.

Overview

The Initiative brings together actors such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Convention on Migratory Species, the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement, the European Union and the Council of Europe to address threats to migratory birds that traverse the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea. It aligns with instruments including the Ramsar Convention, the Bern Convention, the Natura 2000 network, the African Union’s conservation strategies and the Barcelona Convention protocols. Key partners include scientific bodies such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the BirdLife International partnership, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Society for the Protection of Birds and regional research centres like the Mediterranean Action Plan centres.

History and development

The Initiative emerged from meetings held after high-level conferences such as the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the Convention on Biological Diversity meetings, and the UN Biodiversity Conference as stakeholders sought a coordinated response similar to the East Asian–Australasian Flyway and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement. Early development involved consultations with national focal points from Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Lebanon as well as transcontinental partners from France, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus. Funding and technical frameworks were shaped through collaborations with agencies like the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and programmes under the United Nations Development Programme and UNEP. Scientific inputs were contributed by institutions including the Max Planck Society, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and university groups from Cambridge, Oxford, Sorbonne University and Sapienza University of Rome.

Objectives and activities

Core objectives include safeguarding migratory routes that span the Sahara Desert and the Sahel, reducing mortality at key bottlenecks like Lesbos and Lampedusa, and improving habitat quality in wetlands such as Doñana National Park, Camargue, Lake Skadar and Moulouya. Activities encompass site designation consistent with Ramsar Convention criteria, capacity building via workshops with the European Commission’s environment directorate and technical training from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and BirdLife International. Conservation actions target species listed under the Convention on Migratory Species and include recovery plans for taxa such as the Slender-billed Curlew, the Sociable Lapwing, the Egyptian Vulture, the Greater Flamingo and the Kentish Plover. Monitoring and research leverage networks like the EURING ringing database, satellite tracking projects supported by the European Space Agency, and citizen science platforms such as eBird, iNaturalist, BTO Garden BirdWatch and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Participating countries and partners

Participation spans countries of the northern rim (including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania), southern rim (''Egypt'', Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco', Lebanon, Syria', Israel', Palestine') and riparian states of the Black Sea and Red Sea corridors such as Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Sudan. Key institutional partners include the UNEP/MAP Mediterranean Action Plan, the European Environment Agency, the African Union Commission, the Global Environment Facility, the World Wildlife Fund, the International Council for Bird Preservation, the Wetlands International, the International Water Management Institute and academic partners such as University of Barcelona, University of Athens, University of Pisa and Tel Aviv University.

Governance and funding

Governance follows a multi-stakeholder model coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with advisory input from the Convention on Migratory Species and the Ramsar Secretariat. Steering committees include representatives nominated by national ministries from Environment Ministries of participating states and regional bodies such as the European Commission and the African Union. Funding sources combine multilateral grants from the Global Environment Facility, bilateral aid from states like Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and philanthropic contributions from foundations such as the Mava Foundation, the Prince Bernhard Nature Fund, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the National Geographic Society. Implementation funding is supplemented by project financing via the European Investment Bank and in-kind support from NGOs including BirdLife International, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Hellenic Ornithological Society.

Conservation impact and outcomes

Reported outcomes include designation and improved management of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas overlapping with Natura 2000 sites, reduced bycatch in fisheries near Gulf of Cádiz through gear modifications trialled with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, and habitat restoration projects in deltaic systems like the Po River Delta and Nile Delta. Species-level successes cite localized increases in nesting success for colonies of Audouin's Gull and reduced illegal taking documented via enforcement cooperation with agencies such as Interpol and national law enforcement in Spain and Italy. Monitoring data compiled with partners like Wetlands International and BirdLife International feed into the IUCN Red List reassessments and inform migratory species listings under the Convention on Migratory Species and national endangered species legislation such as those administered by Ministero dell'Ambiente in Italy and the Ministry of Environment and Energy in Greece.

Challenges and future directions

Remaining challenges include addressing climate-driven shifts along flyways documented by researchers at Plymouth University, University of Oxford, Imperial College London and ETH Zurich, mitigating collisions with renewable energy infrastructure sited by companies like Siemens Gamesa and Vestas, tackling illegal hunting linked to criminal networks active across the Sahel and enforcing compliance across transboundary wetlands influenced by infrastructure projects funded by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and China Development Bank. Future priorities emphasize scaling satellite telemetry studies with support from European Space Agency and NASA, integrating conservation into agricultural landscapes under schemes like the Common Agricultural Policy, expanding transnational protected area networks akin to Natura 2000, and strengthening community-based stewardship led by organizations such as Local Biodiversity Action Groups and regional NGOs. Continued collaboration with multilateral development banks, research institutions including CSIC, CNRS, CNR and CSM and civil society stakeholders remains essential to secure migratory connectivity for the Mediterranean’s avifauna.

Category:Conservation organizations