Templado et al. 2006), making the marine space of Alboran a biodiversity hotspot
for the Alboran Sea and, therefore, the Mediterranean Sea (Barea-Azcón et al. 2008;
Gofas et al. 2014).
In the Marine Reserve, outside the integral reserve, professional fishing is only
permitted with the gears and equipment traditionally used such as bottom longline,
trolling, fishing rods with live bait and purse seine for small pelagics, as well as
recreational trolling. Bottom trawling is only allowed in the Fishing Reserve, and it
represents the most important fisheries targeting deepwater species such as the blue
and red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus). The number of authorized bottom trawling
boats is currently 51 with Almería being the main base port. One of the main threats
of this MPA is the contamination derived from maritime traffic and possible oil
spills. Although the emerged part of the island is guarded by a service of military
forces, the MPA is very large, and the limits are far from the coast, so illegal fishing
is also a threat. Competences shared by regional and national governments should
not affect the good management and conservation goals of the MPA.
25.4.3 Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Níjar SPAMI
and Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Níjar (Spain)
The Cabo de Gata (Gata Cape) and its surroundings (mountains, salt pans and
seabeds) are located in the Almería province (south-eastern Spain), and they were
declared as Natural Park (Parque Natural), with the name “Cabo de Gata-Níjar” by
the Andalusian government in 1987 (published in January 1988). It included more
than 50 km of coastline and 120 km
2 of marine area, constituting the first maritimeterrestrial protected area of Andalusia and of the northern Alboran Sea. The marine
area spans one nautical mile from the coast along the 50 km of coastline, with
maximum depths of ca. 90 m and six zones of maximum protection: Cabo de Gata,
Los Genoveses, Punta de la Loma Pelada, Punta de la Polacra, Punta Javana and
Mesa Roldán. The first management plan was published in 1994 (with an extension
of the terrestrial part to the current 375 km
2 ), and it was later on updated in 2008.
This Natural Park is provided with management and scientific team, offices and
equipment, and it has been a pioneer in many conservation activities of its rich
natural heritage. For example, it has the only artificial conservation reef in Andalusia, installed between 1993 and 1994 to protect the integral reserve in front of Cabo
de Gata (Guirado et al. 1997b). In 1989, the salt pans area (Salinas) was included in
the Ramsar Convention and together with the adjacent mountains was classified as
IBA (ES216), and the entire MPA was then proposed as SPA in 1992. In 1995, it was
declared a Marine Reserve (only the external waters) by the Spanish Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1997. In
2001, it was catalogued as a Geopark, entering in the European Geoparks Network in
2006 and in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in 2015. Moreover, it was
declared SPAMI in 2001, following the BC. At the same time, this MPA was
25 Marine Protected Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas of the Alboran Sea and. . .
839
for the Alboran Sea and, therefore, the Mediterranean Sea (Barea-Azcón et al. 2008;
Gofas et al. 2014).
In the Marine Reserve, outside the integral reserve, professional fishing is only
permitted with the gears and equipment traditionally used such as bottom longline,
trolling, fishing rods with live bait and purse seine for small pelagics, as well as
recreational trolling. Bottom trawling is only allowed in the Fishing Reserve, and it
represents the most important fisheries targeting deepwater species such as the blue
and red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus). The number of authorized bottom trawling
boats is currently 51 with Almería being the main base port. One of the main threats
of this MPA is the contamination derived from maritime traffic and possible oil
spills. Although the emerged part of the island is guarded by a service of military
forces, the MPA is very large, and the limits are far from the coast, so illegal fishing
is also a threat. Competences shared by regional and national governments should
not affect the good management and conservation goals of the MPA.
25.4.3 Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Níjar SPAMI
and Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Níjar (Spain)
The Cabo de Gata (Gata Cape) and its surroundings (mountains, salt pans and
seabeds) are located in the Almería province (south-eastern Spain), and they were
declared as Natural Park (Parque Natural), with the name “Cabo de Gata-Níjar” by
the Andalusian government in 1987 (published in January 1988). It included more
than 50 km of coastline and 120 km
2 of marine area, constituting the first maritimeterrestrial protected area of Andalusia and of the northern Alboran Sea. The marine
area spans one nautical mile from the coast along the 50 km of coastline, with
maximum depths of ca. 90 m and six zones of maximum protection: Cabo de Gata,
Los Genoveses, Punta de la Loma Pelada, Punta de la Polacra, Punta Javana and
Mesa Roldán. The first management plan was published in 1994 (with an extension
of the terrestrial part to the current 375 km
2 ), and it was later on updated in 2008.
This Natural Park is provided with management and scientific team, offices and
equipment, and it has been a pioneer in many conservation activities of its rich
natural heritage. For example, it has the only artificial conservation reef in Andalusia, installed between 1993 and 1994 to protect the integral reserve in front of Cabo
de Gata (Guirado et al. 1997b). In 1989, the salt pans area (Salinas) was included in
the Ramsar Convention and together with the adjacent mountains was classified as
IBA (ES216), and the entire MPA was then proposed as SPA in 1992. In 1995, it was
declared a Marine Reserve (only the external waters) by the Spanish Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1997. In
2001, it was catalogued as a Geopark, entering in the European Geoparks Network in
2006 and in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in 2015. Moreover, it was
declared SPAMI in 2001, following the BC. At the same time, this MPA was
25 Marine Protected Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas of the Alboran Sea and. . .
839