Aims:
To develop a plan for the use and protection of fields, taking into account
the analysis of the situation of benthic communities in the areas studied
as well as their limiting factors, and to draw up a plan to take measures
in order to preserve the fields.
Plan:
These plans were developed in accordance with the European Guide for the
elaboration of Management Plans affecting natural areas, and these plans
were developed for all marine SCI areas included in the project , whether
these were independent or integrated in other regulatory or developmental
schemes.
In order to correctly execute Action A.5 , and as is required so as to
effectively manage any natural space, it was necessary to first know the
actual present state of the areas which were to be subjected to the new
plan.
Thus, in order to develop Management Plans for marine SCI areas, all available
information was compiled. The General Directorate of Fishing gathered
part of this information from previous studies and surveys carried out
in these areas, from results coming from other projects, and from the
results obtained as a consequence of the work carried out in Action A.1.
: Mapping of the Posidonia fields, Action A.2.: Surveys carried out in
order to create new marine reserves, and Action A.4. : Study of the demography
of Posidonia fields.
Development:
Fourteen provisional Management Plans were drawn up and worded, to be
applied to the marine SCI areas of the Balearics, in accordance with article
6 of the 92/43/CEE Directive.
The action was developed in four phases:
Phase I: Drawing up and wording of the provisional Management Plans.
- The drawing up and wording of 14 provisional SCI Area Management Plans
was sub-contracted or outsourced.
Phase II: Process of participation and communication.
- With the Administration’s own resources an informative and participative
campaign was carried out, in which interested parties (professional and
recreational fishing sector, sailors and skippers, scuba-divers, other
administration bodies / boards ) were given information on the contents
of the provisional Management Plans , and all suggestions and proposals
from said interested parties were gathered and studied.
Phase III. Drawing up and wording of the final Management
Plans.
- Staff from the Consellería de Medioambiente –Local Ministry
of the Environment--worded the definitive Management Plans which included
the proposals and suggestions offered by persons pertaining to the various
sectors at SCI areas.
Phase IV: Approval of the Management Plans
- In order to integrate all aspects of the project in the Management Plans,
a work methodology was established : at each coordination meeting ( and
after a review of the degree to which each action had been carried out
so far), one of the agenda points was kept free so that every partner
could express their gathered knowledge and make suggestions for the management
of certain SCI areas included in the project, based on an initial structured
index framing the Management Plans.
- Each Management Plan will be in effect for approximately
10 years. Once this time has elapsed the Plans will be revised and depending
on the results of the conservation actions implemented at each area, new
actions will be proposed in order to ensure that a favourable state of
conservation endures in the habitats and species which are under the protection
of the Directive.
For each area, the basic Management Plan document adhered to the following
guidelines:
A.- Description and singularity of the space.
1. Geography and morphology of the area.
2. Previous Studies.
3. Previous legislation affecting the space.
B.- Species present (number) and communities (enumerated)
1. Present situation of the communities living within
the areas.
2. Maps, if existent.
3. Relative extension of the fields of P. oceánica situated within
these areas and also in other areas of Community Interest.
4. Abundance of Community Interest species within each area.
C.- Degree of human pressure exerted in each area.
1. Resident population in the vicinity, pressure exerted
by fishing activities, recreational yacht clubs and marinas, and by
fishing ports.
D.- State of conservation of the habitats.
1. Damages: description and intensity.
E.- State of conservation of the species.
1.Damage: description and intensity.
F.- Proposals for conservation actions.
1. Aims.
2. Habitats and species.
As for public participation, a procedure and period of
time were established so that citizens and social representatives could
express their views, suggestions, proposals, complaints and allegations
in relation to the previewed declaration of marked areas in the Red Natura
2000 of the Balearic Islands (and which included, obviously, the SCI areas
encompassed in the project).
Said period of time and procedure to inform the general public about the
elaboration of the SCI Management Plans were made public on the 17th of
December 2005 by the General Director of Biodiversity, and were duly published
in the BOIB (Official Announcement Bulletin of the Autonomous Community
of the Balearic Islands) Issue number 189.
In compliance with what is established in article 44 of the Law 4/2001
dated 14th of March, passed by the Govern de les Illes Balears (Government
of the Balearic Island) and published in the BOIB, Issue 35 dated 22nd
April 2001, a fifteen-day period was established in order to inform the
general public and to allow citizens to present whichever allegations
or claims they considered pertinent in relation to the process of elaboration
of the Management Plans.
The developed Management Plans for SCI areas were applied
to the following:
- Marina of the North of Minorca Area
- Marina of the South of Minorca Area
- Cap Enderrocat-Cap Blanc
- S’Albufera des Grau- D’Addaia to s’Albufera
- Bays of Pollença and Alcúdia
- Costa de Llevant (West Coast)
- Es Vedrà - es Vedranell
- Archipelago of Cabrera*
- Ses Salines of Ibiza and Formentera**
- Cap Barbaria - La Mola
- Sa Dragonera
- Illots de Ponent (islets off the West Coast)
* Approved, as it was included in the PRUG (Regulation
Plan for the Use and Management) of the National Marine and Land Park
of Cabrera.
** Approved, as it was included in the PRUG of the Natural Park of Ses
Salines of Ibiza and Formentera.
Processing state of the Management Plans:
The Management Plans have been approved by the Government Council and
are to be found in the Legislation section of this web page.
Implementation of the Management Plans:
Once approved, the Management Plans were fully applied. The approval of
the plans will greatly ease the work of guards as these will have a set
of officially established norms with which to enforce the regulations
which are stipulated upon concession of anchoring permits.
SCI area guards as well as agents from the Ministry of the Environment
will be in charge of ensuring that the norms of each Management Plan are
adhered to. The purported aims of this project have been achieved as the
Management Plans were approved.
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