OCEANA has started a project with which it intends to contribute to the declaration of the first Spanish National Marine Park on the island of El Hierro. The initiative, which has the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment through its call for grants, gives continuity to the project “Contribution to the determination of the valuation of marine ecosystem services on the island of El Hierro” developed in 2014 by the entity, also with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation.

If in the first phase OCEANA focused on the in situ documentation of species and habitats around the island of El Hierro, which served to highlight the need for protection of the area, in thissecond stage the objective is to involve the relevant social agents in decision-making.

Thus, the project will emphasize the involvement and influence of institutions, relevant organizations, social agents and the general public on the need to promote a management figure around the island of El Hierro. Another objective is to update the list of species and habitats that should be protected in the area according to current legislation.

To this end, different actions will be launched, such as the holding of a strategic coordination meeting with the University of La Laguna and the scientists involved in the project and the development of an interactive cartographic viewer, as well as a communication and dissemination campaign in the media and social networks.

The final report of the project will include an analysis of species and the habitats in which they live, as well as a series of recommendations on the environmental suitability that the protection of the waters of El Hierro would entail.

It is expected that the initiative will contribute to the fulfilment of Spain’s commitment to the protection of marine areas in our country.