Gruppo Foca Monaca (GFM) was founded in 1976 as a working group on the initiative of WWF Italia, with the aim of promoting the protection of the last remaining populations of the Mediterranean monk seal, a species that at the time was at serious risk of extinction and today is undergoing a slow and hoped-for recovery. It was registered as an autonomous association affiliated with WWF in 2001. Its registered office is in Rome, but the association operates in various Italian coastal areas, maintaining direct contact with local communities to encourage participation and awareness. Since its beginnings, GFM has been committed to the systematic collection of sighting reports through public mobilization, the use of video monitoring for habitat surveillance, the involvement of local communities, and broad-ranging awareness-raising activities.
Since 2020, a youth movement has emerged within the association and is continuously growing, bringing together young volunteers and aspiring researchers engaged in monitoring activities, data collection, outreach, and participation in training courses. This movement ensures that the commitment to conservation is not confined to a few experts but becomes a shared heritage among the new generations, fostering creativity, responsibility, and youth leadership.
At present, Gruppo Foca Monaca is made up of volunteers from various backgrounds and professional backgrounds, all eager to commit themselves personally to the protection of the species.
GFM
MONK SEAL
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the world's rarest marine mammals and the only resident pinniped of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was once widespread along all the coasts of the mare nostrum, then became extinct in most of its range due to human impact.
Currently, the estimated population is around 1,000 individuals, although data are not collected across much of the Mediterranean. The main population groups are found in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Sightings have never been lacking in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas either, and the population is currently expanding.
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CHILDREN
The monk seal from the point of view of the youngest
IT