The government of Spain has launched consultations to create 23 new marine protected areas in the Canary Islands and in the Mediterranean Sea. The area in question covers 22,405 square kilometres of marine waters home to animal and plant species such as turtles, dolphins and posidonia.

The initiative is part of Spain's efforts, in line with internationally agreed targets, to protect 30 per cent of its waters by 2030. It also aims to respond to the criticism directed at Madrid in recent years over its insufficient efforts to protect marine habitats.

23 new marine areas

The proposal was presented in July by the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco). The aim is to protect 22,405 square kilometres of marine waters under national jurisdiction through the creation of 23 new marine protected areas. Twenty-one of these would be designated as sites of community importance (SCI) within the Natura 2000 network, the European Union's main instrument for biodiversity conservation. The other two would become new special protection zones for seabirds.

The designated areas mainly concern the Canary Islands. Of the 21 proposed sites of community importance, 17 relate to the Atlantic Ocean archipelago, covering a total of 2,209 square kilometres. The two special protection zones also concern the Canaries and would cover 14,855 square kilometres. A further four sites of community importance, encompassing 5,341 square kilometres, have been proposed for the Mediterranean Sea off the coasts of Valencia, Almería, Granada and the island of Majorca.

The 30×30 target

The species the Spanish government aims to safeguard through the establishment of these 23 marine protected areas include, among others, posidonia, turtles and cetaceans, as well as coral reefs and underwater canyons. With regard to birds, reference is made to shearwaters and petrels.

The European Union has provided instruments such as sites of community importance and special protection zones within the framework of the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which aims to place 30 per cent of terrestrial and marine areas under protection by 2030. This effort is part of the 30×30 initiative, a global target to protect at least 30 per cent of the planet's seas by 2030. The Spanish Ministry has stressed that the new proposal to create 23 marine protected areas aims to increase by 2.08 percentage points the share of marine waters under Spanish sovereignty or jurisdiction that enjoy protected status, bringing the total to 24.53 per cent.

Spain's delays

The public consultation launched by the Ministry will run until 15 September. In the meantime, the areas involved will be subject to a higher level of protection than they have had until now, though without affecting practices such as fishing and navigation.

For some time now, Spain has been under scrutiny for failing to ensure effective protection of its seas. So far the country has placed 240,000 square kilometres of waters under protection, but has faced infringement proceedings from the European Commission over an insufficient number of designated sites. Environmental organisations complain that even within already designated marine protected areas, adequate protective measures are not being implemented and harmful practices such as bottom trawling continue to be permitted. A study published in the scientific journal Marine Policy reveals that in almost two thirds of Spain's protected marine waters, not enough is being done to safeguard biodiversity.

Recently, the Spanish government has taken steps to increase the square kilometres of marine protected areas, as seen with the latest July consultation. This could be a response to the criticism of recent times.