Photo 1. Marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean (Green = protected
areas that are MedPAN members, Blue = protected areas that are not MedPAN
members)

PUBLIC INSTITUTION “PRIRODA” BECOMES A MedPAN AND AdriaPAN MEMBER

Prvić Island Special Reserve is one of the 34 areas managed
by PI “Priroda”. In addition to the island itself, the special
reserve also encompasses the seafloor, Grgur’s Channel and the cliffs
of the northern side of the islands of Sv. Grgur and Goli, which make
it a marine protected area (MPA).

Because it manages MPAs, PI “Priroda” became
a member of the MedPAN organization in 2012 (www.medpan.org/en/home).
MedPAN networks institutions engaged in managing MPAs in the Mediterranean,
and its primary aim is to improve MPA management. The organization was
founded at the Monaco conference in 1990 with the support of the World
Bank. Today’s model of managing MedPAN as a non-profit organization was
established in 2008 when the coordination of, and fund-raising for, MedPAN
was given to the French branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). MedPAN
now has more than 50 members from 18 countries around the Mediterranean,
managing over 80 MPAs. Based on its Calls for Small Project Grants, the
MedPAN organization provides funds to its members for the development
of small projects.

AdriaPAN – the Adriatic network of protected areas (www.adriapan.org/index.php/en/)-
is an initiative launched by two Italian institutions that manage the
protected areas of Miramare and Torre del Cerrano. The network aims to
bring together, and ensure lasting cooperation among, institutions responsible
for managing protected areas in the Adriatic region. The major activities
that AdriaPAN encourages belong to the sphere of environmental protection
and sustainable development. AdriaPAN has more than 20 members in all
countries having access to the Adriatic Sea, as well as over 30 associate
members (institutions, companies, NGOs, etc.).

Patrik Krstinić

Photo 2. Boundaries of Prvić Island Special Reserve