Within the framework of the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, new governance tools have been launched that allow progress to be made in the effective management of marine protected areas. A guide has been published that offers a framework, proposals and tools to guide the design of participatory processes. This guide is part of the Governance Strategy of the marine Natura 2000 Network, which aims to advance in the effective management of marine protected areas and generate opportunities that allow the participation of institutions and society.

The Governance Strategy has four main pillars: optimising existing governance structures for more effective planning and management of marine protected areas, promoting innovative management by developing existing or governance-related regulatory elements, designing and implementing participatory processes in core areas of marine protected area management, and fostering the development of management capacities in these areas Spaces. To this end, it has nine lines of action in the short, medium and long term.

The implementation of this Governance Strategy will help to advance in a management model for marine protected areas that is effective, innovative, participatory and adaptive , and will contribute to ensuring the good environmental status of the Spanish seas and the Natura 2000 Network as a whole, as well as to strengthen planning.

The active participation of all sectors involved in the marine environment is the fundamental pillar of the Governance Strategy. Since the beginning of the process of drawing up the strategy, more than 285 people from 80 different entities, from technical and political representatives of the administrations, economic and social agents, have participated by contributing their experience, ideas and critical spirit. Thus, with its application, this strategy provides different spaces and moments of participation and innovative tools.

Within the framework of the Governance Strategy, the guide to participatory processes seeks to guide the design of the multiple and varied participatory processes that must accompany their development and implementation. For example, in the creation of a new marine protected area, in the evaluation of its governance structures or in the development of its management instruments, plans or measures. It also aims to serve as inspiration for any other protected area or project, whether marine or terrestrial, both inside and outside Spain.

The guide to participatory processes is aimed at very different audiences, such as government teams or technical staff of the managing administrations competent in the planning, management and conservation of marine protected areas, technical staff in participation, facilitation and mediation responsible for the design and development of participatory processes, users and economic sectors present in marine protected areas or organizations nature conservation citizens, among others.

WWF Spain has coordinated the development of these actions together with the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, in collaboration with the rest of the project partners.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS

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