Project number:

LIFE22-NAT-IT-LIFE TETIDE/101113950

 

Duration of the project:

1. 9. 2023. – 30. 11. 2028.

 

Total value:

4,485,970 €

 

EU co-financing:

2,691,582 €

 

Coordinating beneficiary:

Archipelago Toscano National Park (Italy)

 

Partners:

Association BIOM (Croatia), Protected Areas of Nature Public Institution “Sea and Karst” (Croatia), University of Florence (Italy), NEMO Nature and Environment Management Operators S.r.l (Italy), Region of Lazio (Italy), Municipality of Villasimius (Italy), Marine Protected Area of Tavolara – Punta Coda Cavallo (Italy), ISPRA – Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Italy), National Entity of Italian Cinofilia (Italy), Municipality of Ventotene (Italy), University of Palermo (Italy), Birdlife Malta (Malta)

 

Project description:

LIFE TETIDE focuses on the conservation of Mediterranean Islands (in Italy, Malta and Croatia), with a wide geographical range and a high catalytic potential, trough: 1) Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Biosecurity, to prevent IAS (rodents and plants) arrival, efficient detection and rapid response for potential incursions, to maintain results achieved in this and previous projects; 2) Upscaling experiences from previous LIFE projects through further interventions of IAS management and attraction of seabirds. 3) Upscaling the involvement of island communities in active conservation efforts. The main expected results are: protection of about 50% of the populations of two endemic Mediterranean taxa, Puffinus yelkouan and Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis, from rat invasion/reinvasion of rat-free colonies; protection of EU habitats, species and ecosystems through rat removal on Palmarola and small islands of Croatia and Malta; protection of the largest EU colony of Calonectris diomedea and of a population of Brachypterus megacephalus (first project on this Vulnerable and Annex II species) through innovative permanent rodent control on a sector of Linosa; improvement of conservation status of 10 EU habitats through the release from the pressure of plant IAS (mainly Opuntia stricta); establishment of new breeding sites of P. yelkouan and H. pelagicus on rat-free islands of Italy and Malta through attraction and nest boxes; increase support of island communities through community engagement in projects with relevant socio-economic benefits, increasing the long-term sustainability of maintaining IAS-free status. Activities aimed to replication and catalytic potential include the strengthening of networking between EU groups active in seabird conservation, drafting of shared (among beneficiaries and supporting organization of other EU MS) guidelines and protocols and of a Mediterranean islands rat-free strategy concerning the next phase of rat eradications and biosecurity.