Marine protected areas in Algeria: Future marine protected area of “Taza” (SW Mediterranean), continuing challenges and new opportunities facing an integrated coastal management

Abstract

Establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Algeria faces several obstacles, particularly lack of legislation and poor management of local resources. The attempt to establish an MPA at Taza (Jijel, Algeria; SW Mediterranean) is a part of a broad project to set up a network of MPAs in the Mediterranean basin. Creation of an MPA in Taza was first proposed by the staff of Taza National Park in 2000 who, with the support of the MedPAN (Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean) South Project (MSP), began promoting this initiative in 2009. Multiple research institutions have been engaged in studies pertaining to the proposed MPA. This survey (i) examines the progress that Algeria has made towards creating MPAs, (ii) presents an overview of the current situation in the Mediterranean, (iii) demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated and sustainable management tools for the protection of coastal areas using Taza MPA as a case study, and (iv) concludes with recommendations for improving integrated management. Our assessments are fundamentally based on data on marine biological diversity, fisheries, socio-economic aspects, and empirical work conducted for MSP, integrating it with new data on vulnerable exploited species. Ultimately, our goal is to determine if Taza MPA can achieve its ultra-important role as a key component of the integrated management and protection of the Mediterranean.