Monaco punches above its weight in ocean management

It may be the second smallest country in the world but Monaco takes its marine responsibilities very seriously.  Lead by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the country dedicated to marine sustainability both on a national and international level.

One such project is the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI), a think tank that brings together different agents (scientific, economic, political and associative) that share a common commitment to the sustainable management and the preservation of the oceans.

Created under the aegis of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the MBI is co-organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute, Foundation Albert Ist, Prince of Monaco.  

Albert II, Prince of Monaco (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“I decided to set up a Foundation whose purpose is to protect the environment and to encourage sustainable development (...). By definition, this is a common global challenge that requires urgent and concrete action in response to three major environmental issues: climate change, biodiversity and water,” says, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Since the first initiative in 2010, the MBI has sought to develop and encourages a new vision for the spatial management of human activities at sea in relation to marine biodiversity. It places an emphasis on the potential synergies between a healthy environment and economic as well as social development around marine protected areas.

The third edition of the MBI was held on June 4, 2012 within the International Expo of Yeosu in South Korea. The theme, ‘The Living Ocean and Coast’, focused on the integrated management of marine areas. This event enabled participants to pool together good practices in this field and share new perspectives of international cooperation for the sustainable management of the oceans.

This edition in Yeosu also highlighted innovative initiatives from the Asia-Pacific zone, with a particular emphasis on the potential and role of marine protected areas for socio-economic development, aimed at political and economic decision-makers.

Monaco (Photo credit: Pir)

The event included presentations by more than 20 speakers including Sebastien Troeng, Patricio Bernal and Roy Palmer.  The MBI even made headlines in the South Korean national press, which  can only been seen as a positive sign of things to come. 

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