The Municipality of Rapallo, in close cooperation with the Portofino Marine Protected Area, resolved, by Municipal Council Act no. 48 on 07/24/2015, accession to the Pelagos Sanctuary Partnership Charter for Marine Mammals.
Considering the great wealth of marine species and habitats along the Rapallo municipality’s coastline, membership of Pelagos, the result of the International Agreement signed in 1999 between Italy, Monaco and France for the protection of marine mammals and their habitat within which our municipality’s maritime territory lies, was considered important for the promotion of eco-sustainable activities in all sectors, particularly tourism and the economy.
The municipal administration considered the importance of protecting the environmental, landscape and biological quality for the present and the future and the need to act in favour of the conservation of marine species and habitats.
The Municipality of Rapallo, which is the shoreline of the Pelagos Sanctuary, declares that it shares the Sanctuary’s objectives outlined in the Agreement and decides to engage in a partnership with the Pelagos Sanctuary.
Through this Charter, the partners commit themselves to
provide assistance and advice on the subject of marine mammals;
develop awareness-raising and communication tools that will be made available to the partner, in particular for the pedagogical or information action carried out by the municipality;
give visibility to the partner municipality on the Pelagos website and in the information media it will produce (in particular, in the Pelagos Newsletter);
animate training or awareness-raising sessions on marine mammals and their protection for municipal staff as a matter of priority.
The Rapallo municipality will pay special attention to the issue of marine mammals:
adopting, within the framework of its management decisions, the solutions that have the least impact on these animals;
Promoting educational and/or information actions on its territory and the dissemination of information on and at the Pelagos Sanctuary;
Contributing to reduce as much as possible the activities that have an impact on marine mammals, including “sport demotonautization” by applying ar. 5 of Law No. 391 of 11.10.2001. However, should these take place, the municipality undertakes to ensure adequate control, to the extent of its means, either through municipal staff with the appropriate training, or through authorised Pelagos members. These controls will ensure that the management objectives of the Sanctuary are met;
helping to pass on information on any beaching of marine mammals or other marine species that might take place along its coastline.
By virtue of its commitment, the municipality will be able to display the Sanctuary’s flag, as well as any charter enhancement tools made by Pelagos, on its harbour and wherever it sees fit.
All information about the Pelagos Sanctuary can be found at http://www.sanctuaire-pelagos.org/It/ (Italian language section)
