The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) is a legal conservation tool based on cooperation. It is the first Agreement on cetacean conservation binding the Countries of these sub-regions, enabling them to work together on a matter of general interest. It was created under the auspices of the Bonn Convention (UNEP/CMS) and resulted from consultation between the Secretariats of four Conventions:
- Barcelona Conventionfor the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean;
- Bonn Conventionon the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals;
- Bern Conventionon the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats;
- Bucharest Conventionon the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution.
ACCOBAMS was signed on 24th November 1996 and entered in force on June 1st 2001. The Permanent Secretariat is hosted by the Principality Monaco through a Head Quarters Agreement.
The Agreement Area consists of all the maritime waters of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the contiguous Atlantic area west of the Straits of Gibraltar. The Area includes the Pelagos Sanctuary dedicated to marine mammals in the North-West Mediterranean and established by France, Italy and Monaco. The extension of the geographical scope of the ACCOBAMS Area to the Exclusive Economic Zones of Spain and Portugal was adopted in 2010.