The Fuerteventura Island Council has concluded a public consultation process aimed at drafting protection and management plans for several Special Protection Areas for Birds (ZEPA) that are not part of designated natural reserves. The areas under consideration include ZEPA zones in Lajares, Esquinzo, Costa de Jarubio, Vallebrón, Valles de Fimapaire and Fenimoy, Llanos and Cuchillos de Antigua, and the North Coast of Fuerteventura.
The consultation invited feedback from public administrations and landowners, resulting in nearly twenty reports that will inform the drafting team responsible for the plans.
To ensure continued public engagement, future consultation periods will be organised to gather further input from the general public.
The plans aim to create conditions that will maintain these areas in a favourable state of conservation, ensuring the protection of various species and prioritising essential habitats.
Lola García, president of the Cabildo, and Nereida Calero, the councillor for Land Planning, stated that these plans will address existing issues caused by the lack of such frameworks. They seek to balance compatible land uses with the area’s conservation needs.
The protection and management plans will define different uses within the protected areas of each ZEPA based on their vulnerability and the level of protection required.
Challenges facing these ZEPA regions include habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanisation, disturbances to birds from unregulated activities, and environmental degradation caused by waste and changes to the natural environment.
