From Sicily to Djerba: how AJEM Association is turning Mediterranean exchange into action – Represented by Mohamed Marrahi, AJEM took part in a delegation coordinated by ANPE, bringing together Tunisian public institutions, specialised agencies and civil society organisations involved in marine protected area governance.
For AJEM, the mission was an opportunity to ask a practical question: what can the Sicilian experience bring to the co-management of Ras R’Mal Marine and Coastal Protected Area in Djerba?
From institutions to the field
Meetings with the University of Messina and ARPA Sicilia provided insights into protected-area governance, environmental monitoring and scientific cooperation.
Discussions with ARPA Sicilia, including Amalia Pondolfo, also opened promising possibilities for future technical exchanges, particularly on biodiversity monitoring and non-indigenous species.
Field visits to the Area Marina Protetta del Plemmirio, Capo Milazzo and Isola di Ustica offered practical examples of how zoning, surveillance, communication and stakeholder participation can work together.
The objective is not to copy Sicilian models, but to identify approaches that can be adapted to Djerba’s ecological, social and economic realities.
Making marine conservation accessible
One experience that particularly inspired AJEM was the “Stanza del Mare” and other immersive educational tools designed to help people discover and understand the marine environment.
This experience highlighted an exciting possibility for Djerba: developing a marine education and awareness space where children, communities and visitors could discover the biodiversity of Ras R’Mal, understand the importance of coastal habitats and learn about the challenges facing the Mediterranean.
For AJEM, environmental education is not separate from conservation. It is part of building the long-term support needed to protect the sea.
From Sicily to action
The exchange has already helped identify several practical directions for AJEM:
- developing stronger marine education and awareness activities;
- strengthening scientific and technical cooperation, particularly on biodiversity monitoring;
- improving the connection between zoning, surveillance, communication and participation;
- maintaining long-term Tunisian–Italian cooperation and knowledge exchange.
The real value of GoInAMP-Med will therefore be measured not only by what was discovered in Sicily, but by what can be adapted and implemented at Ras R’Mal.
Marine ecosystems and their challenges cross borders. So must cooperation.
For AJEM, the journey from Djerba to Sicily was not an end in itself. It was another step in a continuous process of learning, adapting and turning Mediterranean experience into local action.
From Sicily to Djerba, AJEM is bringing back more than memories; it is bringing back ideas, partnerships and practical perspectives to strengthen the protection of Ras R’Mal and contribute to a healthier Mediterranean.
This exchange visit was organised within GoInAMP-Med – Innovative Governance of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, supported by the European Union through the Interreg NEXT Italy–Tunisia 2021–2027 Programme. AJEM participated as part of the Tunisian delegation coordinated by ANPE.
Photo credits: AJEM Tunisia
From Sicily to Djerba: how AJEM Association is turning mediterranean exchange into action
