In the Balearic Islands there are 30 underground SCI cavities of the Natura 2000 Network, some of which, due to the latest explorations by the FBE, have come to enjoy a well-deserved world fame for the values they house at the geological, biological and paleontological level.

The FBE which, through a collaboration and custody agreement, provides the Ministry of the Environment with the technical resources it needs to carry out the correct management, conservation and study of SCI underground cavities. Specifically, a land stewardship agreement is being processed with the planning section of the Natura 2000 Network for SCI cavities and with the wildlife section protected by the bats that live in these cavities.

The cavities of the Balearic Islands suffer the impact of unregulated visits that cause local problems of pollution due to waste dumping, disturbance to fauna (bats) and deterioration of karst formations. Likewise, traces of wastewater contamination have been detected in several of the main cavities, since part of its development passes through the subsoil of urban centers. Aquifer pollution is a potential threat to aquatic troglobian fauna.

The main objective of this project is to avoid pressures, eliminate threats and enhance the value of the underground SCI cavities of the Natura 2000 Network and their ecosystems by applying effective management of protection, conservation and recovery of the underground karst environment, and at the same time to carry out studies to reach knowledge of the current state and the ideal and precise scenario. of the optimal measures for the conservation of the cavities and the values they house. You can only protect well what you know well.

In no way is this project intended to establish a new management model for SCI cavities, but rather to be an aid and complement to the Balearic Administration’s own management model and at the same time to provide the necessary knowledge to collaborate in the drafting of management plans.