More than 25 experts from different groups of seabirds and geographical areas of the Spanish marine area have met at the headquarters of Fundación Biodiversidad to assess the possible insufficiencies of the Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) of the Natura 2000 Network in the sea.
More than 25 experts from different groups of seabirds and geographical areas of the Spanish marine area have met at the headquarters of Fundación Biodiversidad in Madrid, to assess the possible insufficiencies of the Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) of the Natura 2000 Network in the sea.
The workshop is part of a broader action of the LIFE IP INTEMARES project, coordinated by WWF-Spain, whose objective is to analyse the shortcomings of the marine Natura 2000 Network in its entirety and ensure its coherence, contributing to declaring as protected the necessary spaces, to guarantee a favourable conservation status of habitats and species included in the European biodiversity directives (habitat and birds) in the three Spanish marine biogeographical regions (Macaronesian, Mediterranean and Atlantic).
The organization of the workshop has had the support of SEO/BirdLife, also a partner of INTEMARES and responsible for the inventory of Important Areas for the Conservation of Birds and Biodiversity (IBA) marine in Spain, which was the reference for the designation of state SPAs. Previously, there were about 135 marine SPAs designated by the autonomous communities, most of them small coastal areas that barely totaled about 2,500 km2. In addition to these, 39 spaces were added in 2014, designated by the General State Administration (AGE) within the framework of the LIFE+ project INDEMARES. With this designation, the area covered by marine SPAs was multiplied by 20, contributing nearly 50,000km2 to the Natura Network.
Ten years after the publication of the inventory of marine IBAs (2009), and five years after the approval of the SPAs of the AGE (2014), a new revision is being carried out. During this time, studies on seabirds have proliferated in Spain, and study techniques have improved, particularly those of remote monitoring, which allow marking with increasingly smaller and more precise devices a greater number and diversity of birds. The meeting brings together several of the actors responsible for these studies, belonging to different research centres, universities and other organisations, and will allow the sharing of the information available to address the proposal for new spaces to be designated as SPAs in the different Marine Demarcations of Spain.
The workshop is already based on a previous expert consultation process, so many of the proposals to be discussed are already on the table. They include proposals for the expansion of spaces in the North Atlantic ( where special concern is shown for the shag –Phalacrocorax aristotelis– and for the role of the area as a migratory corridor for seabirds) and South Atlantic demarcations. Thereare also new spaces for the Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus) and Mediterranean shearwater (P. yelkouan) in the Levantine-Balearic demarcation (object of study in INTEMARES), for the European storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus)in the Strait-Alboran demarcation, and for several petrels, storm petrels and shearwaters of pelagic habits in the demarcation of the Canary Islands. It also includes the designation of an SPA in the Strait of Gibraltar due to its great value as a migratory corridor for numerous seabirds.
The outcome of the workshop will be integrated with those of the others previously carried out on other marine species and habitats for a joint analysis and the preparation of a proposal for the extension of the marine Natura 2000 Network within the framework of the project.
A framework to boost seabird conservation
In addition to these actions, the LIFE IP INTEMARES project includes a series of actions for the monitoring and conservation of seabirds. Some of them are focused on improving knowledge about endangered seabird species and the development of plans and strategies for their conservation, as well as the preparation of management plans for 46 SPAs under the jurisdiction of the General State Administration. Also within the framework of the project, other actions are planned such as the development of citizen science tools and the promotion of activities on nature tourism.
Do you want to know more about the LIFE IP INTEMARES project?
The LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, aims to achieve effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network.
The General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea of the same ministry, the IEO, the Spanish Fisheries Confederation, SEO/BirdLife and WWF-Spain participate as partners. It has the financial contribution of the European Union’s LIFE programme, among other sources of funding.
You can follow our twitter @LifeIntemares and through the hashtag #Intemares find out all the news and marine news. You can also consult the intemares.es website, where you will find all the information about the project.
