A delegation from the European Commission has met with the coordinators and partners of the LIFE IP INTEMARES project to learn about the actions carried out during this second year and the planning for the coming months.

The LIFE IP INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, faces a new stage marked by the reinforcement of actions that promote participation in the management of marine protected areas. A delegation from the European Commission has met in Madrid with the coordinators and partners of the project to learn about the actions carried out during this second year and the planning for the coming months. The project has the financial contribution of the LIFE Programme, as well as other funding sources, such as the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

In this second year, participatory processes have been launched by all marine demarcations for the development of management plans, as well as governance and training strategies, which will allow progress towards more inclusive models in the management of marine spaces. The first steps have been taken towards the preparation of the management plans for 12 areas of the Natura 2000 Network off the coast of the Levant, as well as the 39 Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs), declared in the previous project, the LIFE+ INDEMARES, and the updating of the 24 management plans of the Macaronesian Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and the Marine Protected Area of El Cachucho.

The mechanisms for joint cooperation of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network with all the coastal autonomous communities and cities, as well as with other administrations and ministries, including Development, Interior, Defence, Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, have also been strengthened. Along these lines, a training plan has been developed for the Navy to improve the knowledge necessary for the management of the Natura 2000 Network in the marine environment. This training program, which has had 1,000 participants, will continue in 2019.

On the other hand, complementary actions are being financed through the EMFF, ESF and the Biodiversity Foundation’s own funds, among others. A total of 94 of these projects are already linked to LIFE IP INTEMARES. 550 entities and 2,000 participants have already been involved in all the actions of the project.

In addition, this second year progress has also been made in the declaration of new protected areas, placing Spain at the forefront of marine conservation. Thanks to the declaration of the Mediterranean Cetacean Migration Corridor as a marine protected area, it has been possible to exceed 12% of marine protected waters, which makes it possible to comply with international commitments to protect at least 10% by 2020. Likewise, the first oceanographic campaigns have been carried out in Cabo Tiñoso (Murcia) and the seabed of southern Mallorca and the Avilés Canyon.

The first steps have also been taken in the preparation of the conservation plans for the porpoise, as well as the little shearwaters and the little shearwater , and the updating of the conservation strategy for the ferruginous macaw has begun. To guarantee the protection of sea turtle nests on our beaches, a common protocol of action is being finalized at the national level.            

Do you want to learn more about the largest marine conservation project in Europe? Visit the www.intemares.es website and the Twitter profile @LifeIntemares to learn more about LIFE IP INTEMARES.