{"id":7850,"date":"2025-05-26T13:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mubadarat-uicn.org\/?p=7850"},"modified":"2025-07-03T11:25:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T09:25:30","slug":"launching-tunisias-first-underwater-trail-at-melloula-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mubadarat-uicn.org\/en\/launching-tunisias-first-underwater-trail-at-melloula-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Launching Tunisia\u2019s First Underwater Trail at Melloula Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

An innovative model of marine co-management supported by TunSea and artisanal fishermen<\/h1>\n

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\u00a9Hedi Chouchane for TunSea<\/p><\/div>\n

Celebrated this year under the theme \u00a0\u201cHarmony with nature and sustainable development<\/b>\u201d the 2025 International Day for Biological Diversity highlights the urgency of a joint effort to link biodiversity protection with investment in conservation. In Melloula, a small village in the northwest of Tunisia, a project led by a young organization embodies this synergy.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9Hedi Chouchane for TunSea<\/p><\/div>\n

On May 25, 2025, the closing ceremony of the project “The Hidden Treasures of Melloula Bay”<\/em>, implemented by the association TunSea for citizen science as part of the third phase of the TransCap program in Tunisia\u2014supported by IUCNMed and funded by the General Directorate for Cooperation of the Government of the Balearic Islands (Ministry of Social Affairs and Sports)\u2014marked a milestone in this dynamic. This event was also the official inauguration of the first community-managed underwater trail in Tunisia.<\/p>\n

The ceremony was attended by numerous partners and institutional representatives, including the regional delegate and Member of Parliament, the Secretary General of the Tabarka municipality, the Regional Commission for Agricultural Development (CRDA) of Jendouba, the Regional Tourism Office of Jendouba, L’Agence de Protection et d’Am\u00e9nagement du Littoral\u00a0(APAL), the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), the Tabarka Fisheries School, the national maritime and land guards, the civil protection services, the president of the Jendouba Fisheries Unit, local associations, the company Dar El Ain, and locals from the region.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9Hedi Chouchane for TunSea<\/p><\/div>\n

Over 300 participants came together around a shared vision: a resilient marine ecosystem in harmony with local communities.<\/p>\n

Founded barely a year before its integration into the IUCN Med TransCap program, TunSea has taken on a bold challenge: to demonstrate how, through an inclusive approach, local communities\u2014particularly fishers and families\u2014can become active players in conservation. Throughout the project, several training sessions were offered to participants to prepare them to take on the role of co-managers of the underwater trail. This initiative demonstrates that preserving natural resources is possible when rooted in community engagement and a shared vision for sustainable development.<\/p>\n

With support from the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation and the General Directorate for Cooperation of the Balearic Islands, this young and motivated team managed to engage artisanal fishers and local women around a common objective: to highlight the ecological wealth of the bay while strengthening the local social and economic growth.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9Hedi Chouchane for TunSea<\/p><\/div>\n

The celebration day featured several key moments, including:<\/p>\n