Mar de las Calmas in El Hierro
Credit: Oceana Europe, Flickr
The one-of-a-kind Mar de las Calmas in El Hierro by the Canary Islands is to be declared as Spain´s first marine national park.
Government officials have approved a proposal to protect its extraordinary area and biodiversity of the Mar de las Calmas. The sharp underwater mountain known as El Bajon has been part of the Mar de las Calmas marine fishing reserve since 1996, allowing it to maintain its enormous biodiversity. However, more protection measures are required to keep the area from harm.
One-of-a-kind
The name of Mar de las Calmas (Sea of Calms) derives from its unique location; a confluence of oceanographic circumstances that always keep it calm, unlike other stretches of the coast that surround the island where the sea is usually quite rough and difficult to navigate.
With hovering reefs, long tunnels and peaks of volcanic origin, the area hosts many biodiverse species and corals, including algae, gorgonians, sperm whales and whale sharks. Indeed, the Ministry for Ecological Transition highlighted that the waters are home to one of the world´s most important communities of beaked whales.
Declaration
On July 30, the Spanish government approved the proposal to declare Mar de las Calmas a national park; if completed, it will become the 17th natural park in the national network and the first marine natural park in Spain.
The future park would contribute to Spain´s commitment to make at least 30 per cent of the country´s marine environment have some form of protection by 2030. A bill will now be drawn up to be sent to Congress and the Senate for ratification. A ministry source stated, however, that; It is not a short process, and will take at least a year.
The declaration of the Mar de las Calmas as a national park has been a growing demand by several environmental associations for more than a decade. In mid-July, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Moran travelled to El Hierro to speak with all parties involved in the decision and was faced with some opposition.
The opposition
Among the opposition to the declaration are sports fishing associations and diving clubs that are concerned about new restrictions which may be imposed. Traditional fishermen also expressed their worry; despite the declaration of this marine reserve being in force since 1996, they continue daily operating.
The ministry, however, highlighted that the proposal approved also contemplates residents and rights holders with an economic vision that is necessary and essential to achieve the integration and acceptable of the national park.
Moreover, the fishing gears used by traditional fishermen are; very selective and have no impact on biodiversity, hence the fishermen will be able to continue working in the new protected space.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our
Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
From Moscow to Costa Blanca, Anna has spent over 10 years in Spain and one year in Berlin, where she worked as an actress and singer. Covering European news, Anna´s biggest passions are writing and travelling.
Leave a comment Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Website
Comment for robots
Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE!
Covering the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Almeria, Axarquia, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home.
With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close.
Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP), Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall). All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers. All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Close
