The Pelagos Sanctuary Agreement: The need to adapt to environmental and regulatory change

The Pelagos Sanctuary Agreement, signed by France, Italy and Monaco in 1999 and entered into force in 2002, arose from the recognition that marine mammal populations inhabiting what was then high seas in the northwestern Mediterranean required protection from growing human pressures. Initiated as a grassroots effort and later endorsed institutionally, the Sanctuary's establishment-largely in international waters-was enabled by the 1995 revision of the Barcelona Convention's SPA/BD Protocol. Over the past 25 years, the ecological and governance contexts of the Pelagos Sanctuary have changed substantially. Fishery impacts on mammals have declined following the driftnet ban, but other pressures-including maritime traffic, underwater noise, plastic pollution and offshore renewable energy development-have intensified, while climate-driven change is emerging as a major threat. At the same time, research has significantly improved knowledge of the status, distribution and vulnerabilities of the area's cetaceans. The Sanctuary's global importance has been repeatedly recognised, including through its inclusion within EBSAs and IMMAs. Since the Sanctuary's creation, the international policy framework has also evolved markedly, with the entry into force of ACCOBAMS, the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the designation of a North-Western Mediterranean PSSA. To remain effective, the Pelagos Agreement must adapt to this evolving landscape, strengthen responses to key pressures, and contribute to extending protection westwards, including into Spanish waters, for a more effective conservation of pelagic marine mammals throughout the extent of their critical habitat.