Fuerteventura Island Council begins drafting management plans for Special Protection Areas for Birds

Fuerteventura Island Council, through its Spatial Planning department, has completed the preliminary consultation process for drawing up Protection and Management Plans for the Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) on the island that do not overlap with protected natural areas. These are the SPAs of Lajares, Esquinzo and Costa de Jarubio; Vallebrón and Valles de Fimapaire y Fenimoy; Llanos y Cuchillos de Antigua; and Costa Norte de Fuerteventura.

The preliminary consultation was open to public administrations and owners of affected land. It received almost twenty reports, which are now being passed to the team responsible for drafting the SPA Protection and Management Plans.

To continue encouraging participation, the plans will also be subject to future public consultation periods to gather contributions from the public.

The plans aim to establish the conditions needed to maintain the areas in a favourable state of conservation, ensuring the preservation and distribution of the species found there and taking account of the presence of priority habitats.

The aim is to address the problems arising from the absence of these plans by harmonising compatible uses with the areas’ natural values and aligning them with their protection and conservation objectives, according to the Island Council’s president, Lola García, and its Spatial Planning councillor, Nereida Calero.

The Protection and Management Plans will designate areas within each SPA for different purposes and uses, with varying levels of protection according to their vulnerability.

The threats facing the SPAs include habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanisation or changes in land use; disturbance to birds from unregulated activities; and pollution and environmental degradation caused by discharges, waste or alteration of the surroundings.