Mediterranean Marine Avifauna

May I first congratulate, inconditionally, the Association MEDMARAVIS for organizing this symposium and for inviting me re­ presenting the Sardinian Ministry of the Environment. I would like to assert that such initiatives help a great deal and in a concrete way, Heads of government departments in charge of land use and natural resources. At this first symposium of the Mediterranean Marine Avifau­ na I must congratulate the scientific faculty for proposing such an ample spectrum of high quality papers dealing with diverse parts of the Mediterranean and beyond. I am sure that their con­ tributions will further scientific research, will help to pro­ tect our environment and will lead, more especially, to the ma­ nagement and conservation of seabirds. To know in order to manage has often been said at this sym­ posium. In fact, it is not possible to manage thoughtfully and rationally the natural resources without knowing more profound­ ly how they function. This reasoning is also valid on a more ge­ neral scale: regional planning of human activities should not disregard the evaluation of the ecosystem.