Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder and Chairman of the Sylvia Earle Alliance (S.E.A.) and Mission Blue, has named the Balearic Islands a Hope Spot—a special place worth safeguarding as a marine protected area for its importance to the health of the Mediterranean Sea.
The announcement came during Dr. Earle and the Mission Blue team’s visit to Mallorca from November 10-12 in collaboration with Asociación Ondine and with the support of Stefan and Irina Hearst. Dr. Earle gave a lecture outlining the main aspects of her Mission Blue Hope Spots initiative at the Hotel St. Regis Mardavall upon announcing the new Hope Spot. She said:
This is the first part of the Mediterranean that has been designated as a Hope Spot, so why not use this as a springboard—as evidence of what caring can yield—an idea worth spreading. It’s a concept that pays dividends. It’s a step in the direction of expanded protection that is sanctioned by rules and regulations or government action of some sort, but we don’t have to wait for that to make a difference. When people care, good things happen and that is what’s happening here with the work of so many people. Some areas are officially designated but we must grow that concept and share the benefits of protecting the assets of the Balearic Islands and the ocean at large and understanding how they connect back to people in every walk of life. We want to celebrate by putting the spotlight on the people’s work here in the Balearics. It can be a source of hope and inspiration for others to do the same thing. That would be my hope and wish here, for people to share the good news about what they feel has been a good thing that has happened because they have taken action.
“My hope is that we stop treating the ocean like something that you are not part of,” said Stefan Hearst, a founding supporter of Asociación Ondine and its partnership with Mission Blue. He continued, “Inform yourself, and understand how important it is as a sustainable system for one’s own health. It would be tragic if we killed the ocean and thus killed ourselves in the process. We must be smarter. I know we can; we have gone to space and cured illnesses. We can do this! The ocean is waiting to be discovered by one and all.”
Mission Blue is an initiative of Dr. Earle that aims to generate public support for a global network of marine protected areas to safeguard 20% of ocean by 2020.
Some Hope Spots already enjoy formal protection, while others still need to be protected. Approximately 12 percent of terrestrial areas are formally protected, but less than four percent of the sea is. The goal of Mission Blue is to solve this deficit. Networks of marine protected areas are crucial to maintain biodiversity and conserve critical habitats, while making conservation compatible with economic activities such as fishing and ecotourism.
Before this announcement Mission Blue had identified 58 Hope Spots with only one in European waters (Norway) and none in the Mediterranean. Mission Blue and Asociación Ondine carefully analyzed the ecological value of the Balearic Islands and considered their importance in the context of the Mediterranean before naming the archipelago a Hope Spot. Brad Robertson, President at Asociación Ondine, explains:
With seven declared marine reserves, the
The Balearic Islands, a Hope Spot
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