By Maria Elena De Matteo

This story is based on a transcribed interview with Yassine Ramzi Sghaier, Marine Biodiversity Expert and Program officer at UNEP/MAP SPA/RAC, based in Tunisia.

Tunisia’s approach to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has evolved over the last decade toward one built on trust, participation, and pragmatic action. Rather than imposing top-down rules, the country now co-manages its priority MPAs through partnerships between the state and local associations — a shift that is slowly beginning to yield environmental and social results.

As Program officer at SPA/RAC, the expert interviewed works closely with both government bodies and NGOs, supporting the establishment and the management of five key sites along Tunisia’s Mediterranean coast. These include La Galite Archipelago, Zembra and Zembretta National Park, Kneiss Islands, Kuriat Islands, and the North-Eastern part of Kerkennah Islands, each at different stages of implementation, but all framed by a shared National Strategy for MPAs of Tunisia, in line with the regional strategy for MPAs under the Barcelona Convention.

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‍Participatory Governance in Action

Tunisia’s national MPA strategy has identified 11 coastal sites as priority areas for protection. Of these, three have been officially declared as Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMIs)  under the Barcelona Convention, which are La Galite Archipelago, Zembra and Zembretta National Park, and Kneiss Islands. These SPAMIs, along with the Kuriat Islands and the north-eastern part of Kerkennah, all share a successful participatory governance model that brings government institutions and civil society closely together.

“In Tunisia, you can’t impose conservation measures anymore,” the expert explains. “Every action now comes through consultation. Each site has a management committee that includes all the local actors.”

Each of the five priority MPAs has a site-specific management plan — some more comprehensive than others — developed in collaboration with local NGOs and funded through joint partnerships, including the MedFund and SPA/RAC, with financial support of donors such as the European Commission and the GEF. While enforcement powers still depend on formal legal status, fisheries guards do have the authority to sanction illegal activities in many areas.

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Visible Recovery on the Kuriat Islands

Among Tunisia’s future MPAs, the Kuriat Islands stand out as a case where management has produced tangible environmental gains.

“Over the last years, we’ve seen a real improvement,” the expert notes. “The number of sea turtles has increased significantly. Fish populations are recovering. Even certain birds and plants that had disappeared are coming back.”

One symbolic example: wild rabbits have returned to the island after being nearly wiped out. Previously, their young were often eaten by invasive rats, while overgrazing by domestic goats — once introduced by guards — had damaged much of the vegetation. With protections now in place, the ecosystem is slowly balancing itself again.

Tourism operators, once seen as potential threats, now play a positive role. “They respect the rules. They avoid impact. There’s a real effort to protect what’s there.”

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Challenges: Funding, Capacity, and Legal Gaps

Despite progress, Tunisia’s MPA managers face persistent barriers. Chief among them are limited institutional support, unsustainable financing, and high staff turnover, particularly among young environmentalists and scientists who are active, passionate, but underpaid.

“In many cases, associations are only able to keep 3 or 4 paid staff. The rest of the work depends on volunteers — students, scientists, and activists. They stay because they care, but it’s hard to sustain.”

Legal clarity also remains an issue. Only officially declared SPAMIs can be fully enforced under national law, and when environmental issues fall low on the political priority list, management plans can stagnate despite local willingness.

Still, the participatory model ensures that even basic actions are carried out. “There are no MPAs that exist only on paper. Maybe not everything is implemented, but something always is, because the community is involved.”

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The Takeaway

Tunisia’s MPAs reflect a reality shared by many countries in the southern Mediterranean: strong local will, but fragile institutional scaffolding. Yet within this delicate balance, real change is happening.

“These MPAs are not just protected zones,” the expert says. “They’ve become symbols — for sea turtles, for awareness, for a new generation of young people who care. That’s what gives them life.”

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