Tunisia is preparing to create its first official marine and coastal reserves, an initiative considered strategic to preserve the country’s biodiversity and most fragile ecosystems. Among the sites envisaged are the first archipelago of La Galite, the islands of Zembra and Zembretta, Kuriat (photo) and Kneiss.
The regulatory texts necessary for the creation of these new protected areas have been transmitted to the services of the Head of Government and should be published soon in the Official Journal of the Republic of Tunisia.
This announcement was made on Express FM radio by Mehdi Belhadj, Director General of Administrative Management at the Coastal Protection and Development Agency (Apal).
The sites under study include the La Galite archipelago (off the north coast), the Zembra and Zembretta Islands (off Cape Bon), the Kuriat Islands (off Monastir) and the Kneiss Islands (in the Sfax governorate), he said.
One of these areas should be the first to obtain marine reserve status, following consultations with various government bodies, including the Ministries of Agriculture and Defence.
This project is part of the « Tunisia towards 30×30 » initiative, launched in February 2026 to strengthen the network of marine and coastal protected areas and contribute to the international goal of protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030.
The authorities are also working on other sites, such as Kerkennah, Ras Rmel (Djerba) and Cape Negro (Bizerte).
Beyond environmental protection, these new reserves aim to encourage scientific research, ecotourism and sustainable fishing, while facilitating access to international funding.
