Representatives of the European Commission’s external assistance in Spain are carrying out a follow-up visit to the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

Representatives of the European Commission’s external assistance in Spain are currently carrying out a follow-up visit to the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. The visit takes place in the Valencian Community.

Today, the project partners have announced the main results and progress achieved in the actions carried out in the last year, as well as their implementation status. The conference also served to reflect on the achievements, the lessons learned throughout this time, as well as the challenges of the last phase of the project, which ends in 2024.

Among the achievements, the partners have highlighted the improvement ofcoordination between administrations, as well as the generation of new scientific knowledge to achieve a more effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network. This has been possible thanks to joint work, continuous monitoring and communication, as well as the integration of different collections. An example of this is the study of the seabed of the Cap Bretón canyon system, developed by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) in collaboration with AZTI, which has made it possible to obtain unprecedented detailed information.

They have also valued the creation of a participatory culture for the improvement of marine governance, through the establishment of spaces, dynamics and processes that facilitate the participation of the different sectors involved.

CHALLENGES AND NEXT STEPS

In the coming years, work will continue to move towards effective management of marine protected areas. Among the actions, on the one hand, the work for the adaptation of the marine Natura 2000 Network, based on the scientific proposal prepared within the framework of the project, stands out. New management plans for marine protected areas will also be approved, consolidating the participatory processes to achieve this.

In terms of planning, work will continue on the approval of plans and strategies for the conservation and recovery of marine species, as well as the promotion of conservation actions for birds, turtles and cetaceans in different marine regions of Spain.

At this stage, governance will also be boosted with the implementation of demonstration projects that help test the different methodologies, protocols and strategies developed within the framework of the project. Likewise, training sessions will continue to be carried out aimed at managers and sectors linked to the marine environment based on the training strategy.

In addition, other actions are being designed in terms of the useof new technologies for the monitoring of marine biodiversity, as well as for the monitoring of the impact generated by underwater noise. Finally, in this phase, efforts will be intensified in awareness-raising actions, with the development of new innovative tools to bring the Natura 2000 Network closer to society.

PROTOTYPES FOR MONITORING MARINE BIODIVERSITY

During this meeting, some of the actions carried out within the framework of the project will also be visited. Specifically, a tour of the facilities of the Area for the Recovery and Conservation of Marine Fauna (ARCA) of the Oceanogràfic Foundation is planned to learn about the actions related to sea turtles, such as their marking and monitoring, as well as the work of this center in their recovery.

The technical visit will end tomorrow in Gandía. The Polytechnic University of Valencia will show the innovative prototypes developed for the monitoring of marine biodiversity and, then, the IEO-CSIC, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and the Junta de Andalucía will explain the marine environment monitoring actions implemented. Finally, there will be a tour of the Marina Alta area, where a participatory process has been carried out within the framework of LIFE INTEMARES for the updating of its management plan and a demonstrative experience of governance and the process of adhesion of the space to the system of recognition of sustainable tourism in the Natura 2000 Network will be developed.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS

The LIFE INTEMARES project advances towards the objective of achieving an effective and innovative 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; 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.