The Sataya Reef in Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal Reserve, once a tranquil refuge known as “the Dolphin House,” has become a frontline of ecological collapse, battered by climate stress and unrestrained tourist exploitation.
Located off the Red Sea town of Marsa Alam, the reef has turned into a cautionary tale of how unchecked development and environmental neglect intersect—placing both biodiversity and livelihoods at risk.
“This is no longer a sanctuary,” said Pierpaolo Celeste, international relations coordinator at Italy’s Marevivo Foundation, speaking during the 24th Meeting of the Barcelona Convention, held in Egypt from Dec. 2 to 5. “Sataya faces a double assault. The global climate crisis and chaotic, uncontrolled boat tourism. The ecosystem is teetering on collapse.”
Speaking to Al Manassa, Celeste revealed a comprehensive rescue proposal submitted to the Egyptian government. He warned that inaction would result in a twin collapse—ecological and economic.
“What was once a safe haven for a settled community of spinner dolphins to rest after night hunting has become a circus of noise,” he said. “Dozens of motorboats and inflatables surround the dolphins every day. The engines roar without pause. Tourists chase the illusion of swimming with them, and the dolphins can no longer rest, let alone reproduce.”
“It has become less a marine reserve and more like Tahrir Square at rush hour,” Celeste added. “This relentless congestion has turned a protected area into a profit-driven tourist stage, depriving marine life of its sanctuary.”
Sataya’s threat, he emphasized, is not merely environmental but systemic. Coral bleaching linked to rising temperatures is now compounded by “destructive local pressure” from the unregulated tourism industry. And it’s not just wildlife on the brink. “Dolphins are the linchpin of Marsa Alam’s tourism economy. If they flee, the entire coastal livelihood will collapse.”
Celeste called for urgent regional solidarity. “This isn’t just Egypt’s burden. We must all rise to defend our shared sea—and reimagine our role, not as predators, but as stewards of the ocean.”
The Marevivo plan, inspired by the Samadai Reserve model, hinges on four urgent interventions: implementing marine zoning, capping the number of boats allowed in the area, mandating a transition to electric engines, and enforcing compulsory training for all tourism crews.
Samadai is divided into four marine zones to balance access with protection. One zone is entirely off-limits to humans, reserved for dolphins; another for controlled swimming and diving; a third for boat mooring; and a fourth for regulated recreational use. This model is jointly overseen by Egypt’s Ministry of Environment and the local NGO HEPCA.
The government is already reviewing new management strategies in response to the crisis, Ali Abo Sena, CEO of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency explained to Al Manassa. Speaking during the Convention’s closing session, he emphasized the role of civil society.
“We have binding agreements with HEPCA, who already manage Samadai. Their frameworks can be adapted for Sataya’s emergency,” he said.
Abo Sena underscored the stakes, “preserving natural assets doesn’t mean shutting down the economy. We must act preventively—because if we don’t, the very resources drawing tourists here will vanish.”
“This isn’t about punishment. It’s about preserving the source of income itself. Without regulation, investors lose the asset that sustains them,” Abo Sena added. He concluded his speech by instructing Egypt’s Protected Areas department to collaborate immediately with scientists and HEPCA on reviewing the Marevivo plan.
This year’s Barcelona Convention, themed “Mediterranean Blue Growth: Towards a Resilient and Sustainable Future,” brought together ministers and officials from 21 Mediterranean countries and the EU, as well as the UN Environment Programme. Egypt assumed the rotating presidency from Slovenia.
The Convention remains a binding legal framework that obligates its 21 member states plus the EU to reduce pollution, conserve marine biodiversity, and promote coastal sustainability.
At the final session, delegates approved reference standards for a new regional climate change center in Turkey. They also advanced support for Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance. Additionally, the session updated biodiversity strategies, adopted new coastal management protocols, and signed off on the 2026–2027 budget and the 2022–2023 review.
