06/06/25
The nautical crossing of the LIFE A-MAR project mobilises more than 700 people to raise awareness of the values of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network
Press releases from Fundación Biodiversidad

The nautical crossing of the LIFE A-MAR project mobilises more than 700 people to raise awareness of the values of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network

  • The expedition has traveled for a month to 25 protected marine areas located off the coasts of the Region of Murcia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Andalusia
  • A total of 24 guided tours and sessions aimed at socio-economic sectors have been carried out to inform about the values and opportunities offered by these spaces
  • The Natura 2000 Network in the Spanish Mediterranean includes 128 marine or maritime-terrestrial areas totalling more than 4 million hectares

The nautical journey launched by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), in coordination with the Directorate General of Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification and the autonomous communities involved, has ended with the participation of more than 700 people in the activities carried out.

This campaign has visited a total of eight ports and 25 marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network in the Mediterranean since 8 May with the aim of raising awareness of the ecological value, benefits and opportunities offered by protected marine areas, as well as involving citizens in their responsible and sustainable use.

This action is part of the European project LIFE A-MAR, Knowing and loving the marine spaces of the Natura 2000 Network to protect them, of which the Biodiversity Foundation is a partner. This initiative is coordinated by the Italian Federation of Parks and Nature Reserves (Federparchi), and is developed in Italy and Spain. In addition, its results will be transferred to other countries in the Mediterranean basin such as Malta, Albania, France and Greece.

In Spain, the navigation campaign has been carried out on board a sailing catamaran that has made eight stops in ports located in protected areas or very close to them. It began in Cabo de Palos (Cartagena) and has ended in San José (Almeria), passing through Xàbia (Valencia), Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca, L’Estartit (Girona) and L’Ampolla (Tarragona).

In these places, activities have been carried out in the protected areas of Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila, in the Region of Murcia; Montgó-Cap de Sant Antoni, in the Valencian Community; Ses Salines d ́Eivissa i Formentera and Sa Dragonera, in the Balearic Islands; Montgrí Natural Park, Medes Islands and El Baix Ter and Ebro Delta, in Catalonia; as well as Cabo de Gata-Níjar, in Andalusia. In addition, the sailboat’s journey has also passed through other areas where images have been taken and wildlife sightings have been made.

Among the various activities, 17 guided tours have been carried out aimed at the local population and tourists, as well as 7 sessions in which diving and nautical companies have participated; administrations, technical staff from the tourism sector and conservation organisations, among other groups. In addition, information on the Natura 2000 Network has been provided at the foot of the port.

In addition, participants have been provided with information materials on the natural area visited and the Natura 2000 Network, which are available on the website of the Biodiversity Foundation.

THE NATURA 2000 NETWORK AND THE MEDITERRANEAN

The Natura 2000 Network is the European Union’s network of protected areas, the largest in the world. Its purpose is to ensure the long-term conservation of priority species and habitats for Europe, and to contribute to halting the loss of biodiversity, while ensuring economic development that respects these important natural values.

The Spanish Mediterranean is made up of 128 marine or maritime-terrestrial areas that add up to more than 4 million hectares. In total, these spaces cover 16% of the Spanish waters in this marine region, which include reefs, posidonia meadows, sea turtles and cetaceans, among other habitats and marine fauna.

One of the particularities of this protection figure is that specific protection and management measures are established in these spaces, so that the human activities carried out are compatible with the maintenance of a favourable state of conservation of the natural heritage.

The protection of these marine spaces also generates multiple services that contribute to well-being, including climate regulation, oxygen release, food, knowledge generation and the maintenance of biodiversity, among others.

LIFE A-MAR
The LIFE A-MAR project is coordinated by the Italian Federation of Natural Parks and Reserves (Federparchi – Europarc Italia) and partners are Triton Research, the MITECO Biodiversity Foundation and Lipu. Co-financiers include the Asinara National Park, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park and the Cinque Terre National Park. It has the financial contribution of the LIFE Program of the European Union.

Within the framework of this European project, 15 citizen science workshops will also be developed until September, as well as new training activities. The actions in Spain of the LIFE A-MAR project are promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation.