A new report titled "30 by 30: Scenarios to recover biodiversity and rebuild fish stocks in the Mediterranean" by WWF sheds new light on the importance of conservation and advocates for bolder action to ensure that 30 per cent of the Mediterranean Sea be protected by 2030—an objective under negotiation within the UN Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) and enshrined in two landmark strategic plans currently being prepared by SPA/RAC, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas, under the Barcelona Convention.

The two strategic plans currently under development – namely the post-2020 Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of the Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Region (SAPBIO), and the post-2020 Regional Strategy for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs)— will be submitted to the 22nd Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (COP 22, December 2021, Antalya, Turkey) for adoption.

The WWF report shows, based on modelling, an increase of 4 to 20 per cent in species biomass that “various spatial-conservation scenarios”, varying in coverage (from 14 to 46 per cent) and level of protection (from highly to fully protected), would bring about—thus illustrating the importance of challenging the “status quo”.

More information here.