Biodiversitätsschutz im Mittelmeer

The solution of problems with regard to the protection of the marine biodiversity is an urgent challenge not only for states but also for governmental and non-governmental organisations. A large number of those problems appear in the Mediterranean Sea. This results primarily from the high level of biodiversity and the intense use of the Mediterranean basin. The author focusses on networks of marine protected areas in marine regions far from land and takes the complex Mediterranean system of marine zones into account. Against this background, the legal framework of global and regional international is analysed as well as the law of the European Union. Besides the international law of the sea, this includes the relevant regulations for the protection of biodiversity as well as fishing and shipping law. The examination assesses the current state of implementation of legal obligations and refers to scientific proposals concerning the extension of networks of marine protected areas.