Since the adoption of the Action plan guidelines for the implementation of the actions suggested, the management and the monitoring of the populations of birds were developed and published.

The Guidelines for the elaboration of National Action plans for the conservation of marine and coastal birds aim at giving directives for the development of National Action plans to ensure that the national processes follow common directives in order to provide data which are comparable and compatible at the level of the Mediterranean region.

The actions suggested are presented according to 5 fields:

• Data collection based on the evaluation of the state of knowledge;
• Legal protection and the impact reducing technical measures;
• Application of international agreements at the national level;
• Reinforcement of the institutional framework;
• Training, education and the awareness raising among the wider public.

 The monitoring and the management of the coastal and marine protected areas of importance for birds are essential with regard to the long-term conservation of these species of birds. One of the key actions enabling the Contracting Parties to carry out the objectives of the Action Plan is the development of a whole set of guidelines relating to the monitoring of the populations of these species and to the development of management plans for the coastal areas in which they are breeding.

Monitoring is generally one of the main activities under consideration in the management plan of an area and consequently, the guidelines are presented in two parts:

• Guidelines for management plan for coastal and marine important areas to birds and/or marine and coastal Protected Areas ;
• Guidelines for monitoring threatened population of marine and coastal bird species in the Mediterranean.