The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA) will submit to public participation until October 8 the proposal for the inclusion of a new marine Site of Community Importance (SCI). With the approval of this new space, scheduled for the end of the year, it will rise to 8% for the protected area in Spain.  
 
This proposal complies with the obligations established in EU regulations and state legislation regarding the declaration of new sites of the Natura 2000 Network in the marine area.
 
To this end, the Ministry has presented the draft ministerial order approving the proposal for inclusion in the List of Sites of Community Importance of the Natura 2000 Network of the Marine Area of the east and south of Lanzarote-Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. 
 
This proposal comes after an in-depth study of this area within the framework, among others, of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project “Inventory and designation of the Natura 2000 Network in marine areas of the Spanish State”, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation.
  
This project began in 2009 with the development of oceanographic campaigns entrusted to several research teams and has as partners, in addition to the Ministry, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, the Spanish National Research Council, ALNITAK, the Coordinator for the Study of Marine Mammals, OCEANA, the Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands, SEO/BirdLife and WWF Spain. This project will conclude this year with the approval of the SCI proposals, while the object of this ministerial order is the last of the areas studied that remained to be proposed.
 
Important presence of cetaceans and turtles
The proposal that will be submitted to the European Commission provides information on its geographical limits, surface area and the values for which it is proposed. In particular, the seabeds of El Banquete and Amanay stand out in this space, as well as an important presence of cetaceans and turtles. Likewise, a preventive protection regime is included until this space is designated by the Commission as an SCI.
 
The spatial delimitation of the SCI has been submitted to debate and consultation of the affected local sectors through technical workshops held in Fuerteventura last June. From now on, it is raised to public consultation to guarantee the participation of all people and institutions that are interested.
 
Information on the aforementioned space and the processing of the ministerial order is available on the MAPAMA website, in the section on Public Participation of Coasts and Marine Environment.
 
Subsequently, once the space has been designated by the Commission, a new public participation process will be opened for its final approval as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the preparation of the management plan, which will regulate the activities in the area.