The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment is commemorating the declaration of the first European national parks this Friday, 24 May.
This Friday, 24 May, the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment is joining in the celebration of European Natural Parks Day. The Directorate General for the Natural Environment and Forestry Management wants to take advantage of this date to highlight the importance of these emblematic areas in the Balearic archipelago. Tomorrow will mark the declaration of the first European national parks, in Sweden, on 24 May 1909. As members of the Federation of European National Parks and Nature Reserves (EUROPARC), which brings together almost 400 members from 36 states, the Balearic Islands are also taking part in this event.
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The importance of the protected natural areas of the Balearic Islands on European Natural Parks Day
The protection of the great diversity of habitats, flora and fauna to be found in the natural areas of the Balearic Islands is a cause for celebration and a commitment to the conservation of this wealth of biodiversity. For this reason, the Government wants to guarantee the protection and conservation of the natural heritage of the archipelago through the public use of these areas and to promote environmental education and social awareness as the backbone of appropriate management of the natural environment.
In this line, this year, the EUROPARC Federation has chosen the slogan “Vote for nature” to commemorate this day. In this sense, it points out that nature conservation transcends any ideology and that it is essential to promote positive actions to ensure a healthy future for people and the environment. On the European Day of Natural Parks, the Federation wishes to highlight the importance of protected areas for the development and implementation of conservation policies and people’s well-being, as well as their central role in guaranteeing a sustainable society so that people can live in harmony.
Protected natural areas in the Balearic Islands
The first protected natural area (ENP) in the Balearic Islands was the Natural Park of s’Albufera de Mallorca, in 1988, while the last one to be declared as such was the Es Trenc – Salobrar de Campos Maritime-Terrestrial Natural Park, in 2017. The ENPs cover 199,619.93 hectares of the territory of the Balearic Islands, with a total of 85,151.44 land hectares and 114,468.49 marine hectares, which are divided into one national park, seven natural parks, two nature reserves, one natural site and two natural monuments integrated within this site.
Specifically, these protected natural spaces in the Balearic Islands are the following: Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, S’Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park, Mondragó Natural Park, S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, Sa Dragonera Natural Park, Ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera Natural Park, Levante Peninsula Natural Park, Es Trenc – Salobrar de Campos Maritime-Terrestrial Natural Park, the nature reserves of Es Vedrà, Es Vedranell and the islets of Poniente, the S’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the Serra de Tramuntana Natural Site and two natural monuments (the Fonts Ufanes and the Torrent de Pareis).
Information on these areas and all the natural heritage to be found on the Balearic Islands can be found at the following link: www.caib.es/sites/espaisnaturalsprotegits/ca/definicion_y_figuras-21475/.