The LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has held its thirteenth Management Committee, where the main advances of the project and the actions that will be carried out, in its third phase, in terms of conservation, research, governance and training, have been presented. as well as in communication and awareness, among other areas.

To this end, the conference has had the participation of the project partners, as well as the National Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds, which has intervened in this committee as a guest entity.

ADVANCES

In recent months, and as a result of a participatory process, a proposal has been drawn up to adapt the marine Natura 2000 Network that will allow Spain to protect 25% of its marine area by 2025. This study is based on a broad scientific consensus and identifies areas of high ecological value that can be protected in order to comply with the objectives set by the Government in terms of marine conservation.

Two new tools have also been published: a Governance Strategy, which allows improving the governance of marine protected areas; and a Guide to participatory processes to guide the design of the participatory processes that accompany the development and implementation of the strategy. Following its publication, progress is being made in the definition and execution of governance demonstration projects in Marina Alta, Pitiusas and Baix Empurdà, among others.

Finally, LIFE INTEMARES has organized several inter-administrative coordination meetings in Andalusia. Promoted by the Junta de Andalucía, a partner in the project, these meetings have brought together public bodies involved in the conservation of marine biodiversity. Likewise, the fourth coordination meeting with autonomous communities has been held, promoted by MITECO, where the scientific proposal for the expansion of the marine Natura 2000 Network and other advances of the project were reported.

In terms of training, the first edition of the “Training course in participatory processes applied to the improvement of the governance and management of marine protected areas” has been developed, an action led by WWF.

In addition to participation, research is another of the fundamental pillars to achieve effective management of marine protected areas. In recent months, oceanographic campaigns have begun to design measures to minimise collisions between vessels and cetaceans in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, promoted by MITECO.

The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) has also carried out an oceanographic campaign in the protected areas of the Avilés and El Cachucho Submarine Canyon System, where new non-invasive methodologies for assessing and monitoring the state of conservation of deep areas of the marine Natura 2000 Network have been tested. Thanks to the scientific work in another research campaign, the presence of two species of allochthonous and invasive algae has been found on the rocky bottoms of the coast of Almeria,  Rugulopteryx okamurae and Asparagopsis taxiformis, which can affect the biodiversity of this ecosystem. Finally, a recent study has made it possible to characterise the seabed of Cap Bretón in unprecedented detail, which is essential information for the declaration of the area as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) of the Natura 2000 Network.

Along these lines, in the field of marine conservation, the Management Strategy for Rugulopteryx okamurae has been approved, which describes the situation of the species in Spain and its ecological and economic impacts, includes actions to raise awareness among the population and promotes inter-administrative coordination to try to minimise the effects caused by the species. Likewise, a tender has been opened for the reintroduction of vermetid formations in the Valencian Community.

In the area of communication and awareness-raising , there has also been significant progress. A participatory campaign has been launched, called “Get wet for conservation”, which aims to encourage society to value the spaces of the Natura 2000 Network through photographs and videos taken in some of these spaces. Likewise, a series of informative materials have been prepared, such as an infographic on the complementary projects financed by the Pleamar Program to publicize how other initiatives also contribute to achieving the objectives of LIFE INTEMARES. Finally, all these advances are shared with organizations and people interested in marine management and conservation through the quarterly bulletin, of which the 13th edition has been sent.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS

The LIFE INTEMARES project is moving towards the objective of achieving effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as the basic tools.

The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge coordinates the project. The Ministry itself, through the Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification and the Sub-Directorate for the Protection of the Sea; the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, as well as the Environment and Water Agency; the Spanish Institute of Oceanography; AZTI; the University of Alicante; the Polytechnic University of Valencia; the Spanish Fisheries Confederation, SEO/BirdLife and WWF-Spain. It is supported by the LIFE Program of the European Union.