Cabrera's National Park will have a new strict protection area of almost 6.000 hectares

This proposal, presented today, November 27th, to the Patronage, is collected in the new PRUG, which began during 2024 and that will be submitted to two months of audience and public information before Christmas.

The Patronage of the Maritime-Land National Park of the Archipelago of Cabrera has gather today, thursday, at the Counselling of Agriculture, Fishing and Natural Environment in a session that has informed of the creation os a strict area of protection that will take up to almost 60.000 hectares, the most extense of this protection level in the occidental Mediterranean. During the Patronage the basic lines of the new Rector Plan of Use and Management (PRUG), which addd this proposal of zoning.

The counsillor of Agriculture, Fishing and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, and the general director of Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres, alongside representatives of administrations, scientific entities, conservative organizations and the fishing sector. The session has also allowed members of the Patronage to discover the new conservative director of the Park, Maria Valens, that has participated for the first time in this organ.

During the session, the additions that have been presented during th process of consultation carried out this summer to the members of the Patronage have been analyzed and the general lines of the PRUG have been revised, a docmento that is basically ready, only awaiting the final revision of juridic servcies. The forecast is for it to be published before Christmas so that the text is submitted to a two-months audience and public information period, open to civilians as well as entities and implied sectors. The PRUG is the normative instrument that regulates uses and activities in this natural protected space and updates the management model.

The Patronage has specially valued the proposal os stablishing a strict protection area that occupies the major part of the expanded marine area of 2019, up to almost 60.000 hectares, with the goal of reinforcing the preservation of sensitive marine ecosystems, favoring the recovery of vulnerable species and consolidating Cabrera as a conservation referent in the Mediterranean. It is important to point out that it is a proposal worked upong between the Directorate General of Natural Environment and Forest Management and the Directorate General of Fishing of the Government. In this sense, it is important to highlight that this strict protection area that is meant to be created is not an area for fishmongers of the Balearic Islands, but of craft boats of other autonomic communities.

Councillor Joan Simonet has pointed out that the «processing of the new PRUG is an unmissable step to consolidate the future of Cabrera. We talk of a planning tool that will reinforce the conservation of the Park and that answers to the need of having an updated, rigurous and coherent plan with the current environmental challenges». In addition, he has affirmed that «the creation of a strict protection area of almsot 60.000 hectares will places us as a referent in the occidental Mediterranean. Cabrera is a unique natural patrimony, and this expansion means a firm commitment with the conservation of our marine environment».

General director Anna Torres has pointed out that «the work alongside the members of the Patronage and the importance of incorporating the collected additions during this summer, that have contributed to improving the final proposal of the PRUG and reinforcing the consensus». She has also put into value «the tight collaboration between technical units of the Counselling and team of the Park to advance into a strategic and essential document for the management of this protected space». In thise sense, she has also pinted out that «this new PRUG has been elaborated incorporating the directions of the bases of the Agenda of Transition of the Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability of the Balearic Islands. Goals such as strategic territorial planning, the stablishment of load capacity threshold, the fight against invading species, the active conservation, the marine ecosystems protection and the establishment of exclusive marine areas and of sustainable tourism, amongst others, have been fulfilled».

Durante the session, director Maria Valens has presented the activity report of the Park, that collects the progress of projects financed by the Recovery, Tranformation and Reslience Plan (PRTR). She has explained that an important part of the works of the infrastructure has already been completed or is in its final period, including the improvement of head deposit of Can Feliu. She has also highlighted the new control and erradication project of invading species, that has allowed recovering habitats and improving ecological resilience of the archipelago, and has informed of the incorporation of a new electrical van destined to updating the inside mobility of the Park.

Valens has equally pointed out recent works such as the improvement works in the roof of the port and the installation of a new exposition in the troops' room of the castle. She has also pointed out that it is expected, if the works are kept according to the calendar, in Summer of 2026 he cero discharge of water spilt at sea, a goal considered a a highlighted environmental milestone.

Counsillor Simonet has wanted to recognize the work carried out by the previous director of the Park, Maria Francisca López, to whom he has expressed his thanks for her implication. In addition, he has wished luck to the new director and to the technical team, to whom he has encouraged to continue working to reinforce the protection of Cabrera even more, with a management based in technical rigor, transparency and the defense of natural patrimony.