PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Tamarit-Punta de la Móra is one of the few places left on Spain's Mediterranean coast where any significant suite of habitats of Community interest can still be found. Among its most characteristic formations are the coastal sands, dune juniper thickets and wooded dunes with Pinus pinea which form a mosaic with the intersticed fields of traditional cultures. The marine habitats also include ecologically valuable associations, such as the Posidonia beds.
The main threats to the site are tourism pressure and the over-exploitation of certain resources by scuba divers and by the uncontrolled collection of shellfish. The site is also confronted with other problems such as the erosion of the Playa Larga beach and the fragmentation of natural areas by residential building. Because of its great natural value, the site has been proposed for the Natura 2000 network.
OBJECTIVES
The project's main goal was to secure the conservation of Punta de la Mora as a representative site for Mediterranean coastal habitats by means of lasting management and the restoration of degraded habitats. To this end, three principal foci were determined: improving the conservation status of the habitats, promoting awareness of the site's value and beefing up the current levels of protection.
Within this framework, the planned actions included the erection of fences and information panels to delineate and flag up the terrestrial habitats. For the marine habitats, a line of buoys will be installed along the 20-metres depth contour to keep out boats and allow the Posidonia beds to recover.
Measures were also planned in the agricultural and forest zones to restore eroded areas and degraded woodlands. Information and awareness campaigns aimed at visitors and local people were envisaged. Workshops and training sessions to improve scientific knowledge were also foreseen, as well as events to exchange experience with other, similar sites.
RESULTS
With the implementation of this project, the beneficiary has contributed to setting up the basis to secure the long-term conservation of Punta de la Móra pSCI as a representative site for Mediterranean coastal habitats. It is expected that all the work done by means of the LIFE project can be used in the near future to ensure the site’s conservation.
As regards the conservation benefits for the Natura 2000 site and species/habitats targeted, a lot of work was done to improve the conservation status of the degraded habitats, mainly in terms of increasing the knowledge about their status. This was especially important for the marine area, where the studies carried out showed that this pSCI is important mainly for the marine plant Cymodocea nodosa.
In the terrestrial area, a general increase in knowledge also occurred, the locations with erosion problems were mapped and works for the restoration of priority dune systems were made.
Preliminary works and blueprints were produced for the implementation of the management measures for the two key habitats present, namely the construction of a footpath and the buoying envisaging the protection of the marine area. The implementation of these actions falls under the competences of the Ministry of the Environment and, although it was not possible to complete the works during the project period, the procedures for their implementation are in course.
The achievements in the raising of awareness on the site's value were remarkable. Many education activities were carried out, formal and non-formal, including the production of good dissemination materials; all these were complemented with regular contacts with the media. The NGO also proved to have a good capacity to mobilise volunteers for conservation works in the area. Important efforts were invested in negotiating with stakeholders, including the Tarragona City Council itself, but also visitors, fishermen, divers and yacht clubs.
The beneficiary also devoted many efforts towards beefing up the current levels of protection. This pSCI is included in the regional network of protected sites (known in Catalunya as PEIN) and enjoys a management plan drawn up by the competent authorities. The site is partly privately owned and the landowner has been involved in all negotiations with the competent authorities with regard to all the activities in his estate. At the time of closing the project, the beneficiary had provided further tools for the conservation of the site, i.e. technical and scientific surveys and proposals for the declaration of nature reserve in part of the area where priority habitats are found. All these works and proposals are now in the hands of the competent authorities.
The innovative aspect to be highlighted in this project is the fact that the beneficiary, a small regional NGO, has been in charge of site management during the project under agreement with the competent authority. The actions carried out throughout the project were included in the management plan existing for the site and drawn up by the regional authorities, and the financial means were provided through the LIFE programme during this period. This was an innovative experiment in Spain both at regional and national level.
From a social point of view, the project was important mainly at the local level, including the implication and support of the Tarragona City Council. This was quite relevant in this area, which suffers important levels of industry and tourism pressure. The site also became interesting for volunteer activities, which enjoyed the participation of local and international citizens. During the course of the project, seven employments were created in connection with the conservation of the site, which was also important at local level.
With the basic tools available, the long-term conservation of the site is now in the hands of the competent authorities. On the one hand, the Ministry of the Environment is expected to complete the construction of the footpath and the installation of the buoying system as soon as possible. On the other hand, the regional government (Generalitat de Catalunya) is the competent authority for providing the technical and financial means for the implementation of the measures in the management plan in this Natura 2000 site and for gaining profit from all the management tools provided by the beneficiary through this LIFE project.
