On May 6, 2025, in Fortezza del Priamar in Savona hosted the technical workshop “Cooperation between Marine Protected Areas, National Parks, and Municipalities that signed the Pelagos Partnership Charter.” The event, promoted by the Pelagos Agreement and co-organized by the Municipality of Savona and the Bergeggi Marine Protected Area, represented a key opportunity to strengthen synergies among the various actors involved in the conservation of cetaceans and marine ecosystems within the Sanctuary.

The morning opened with a plenary session entirely dedicated to the monk seal (Monachus monachus), a species of high ecological and symbolic value for Mediterranean biodiversity. The session was an important occasion for exchange among scientific institutions, maritime authorities, marine protected areas (MPAs), and local and international administrations. Its goal was to update the current knowledge and define concrete actions for the monitoring and conservation of the species.

In the afternoon, a dedicated session focused on strengthening cooperation among MPAs, National Parks, and the Municipalities adhering to the Partnership Charter. The importance of sharing best practices for integrated and effective management of the cross-border marine area shared by Italy, France, and the Principality of Monaco was also emphasized. This was followed by the presentation of the updated Pelagos Partnership Charter and the new operational tools developed to support Municipalities and Unions of Municipalities. The discussion that followed produced several proposals for jointly promoting and implementing the Charter in collaboration with MPAs and National Parks.

The day continued with two parallel sessions. The first, addressed to the staff of MPAs and Parks, focused on strengthening joint conservation actions for the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the monk seal (Monachus monachus), two key species of the Mediterranean. The second session provided a practical focus on cetacean stranding management—an increasingly frequent issue that requires coordinated and effective responses.

The event confirmed the shared commitment to building stronger and more collaborative territorial governance for the protection of the sea and its biodiversity.