{"id":765,"date":"2026-08-22T21:16:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T21:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/22\/unicorn778-spain-proposes-23-new-marine-protected-areas-in-the-canary-islands-and-mediterranean-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T21:16:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T21:16:04","slug":"unicorn778-spain-proposes-23-new-marine-protected-areas-in-the-canary-islands-and-mediterranean-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/22\/unicorn778-spain-proposes-23-new-marine-protected-areas-in-the-canary-islands-and-mediterranean-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Spain proposes 23 new marine protected areas in the Canary Islands and Mediterranean Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-326890\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>The proposal represents Spain\u2019s latest effort to advance protection of 30% of its waters by 2030.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>It looks to protect 22,405 square kilometers (8,651 square miles) of marine waters, primarily in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean around the Canary Islands, as well as four sites in the Mediterranean Sea.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Conservation groups have raised concerns in recent years about the state of Spain\u2019s marine protected areas, highlighting a significant discrepancy between areas designated \u201con paper\u201d and those that are subject to effective protection.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>The Spanish government has launched a consultation process to establish 23 new marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canary Islands waters and the Mediterranean Sea as part of efforts to meet a national commitment to protect 30% of its waters by 2030.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miteco.gob.es\/content\/dam\/miteco\/es\/biodiversidad\/participacion-publica\/anexos\/informacion_publica\/rn2k_marinos_2026\/20260526_OM_21%20lic%20y%202%20Zepa.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">The proposal<\/a>, put forward by Spain\u2019s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) in July, aims to protect 22,405 square kilometers (8,651 square miles) of marine waters primarily in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean around the Canary Islands, part of a region known as Macaronesia. It also covers areas of the Mediterranean off the coasts of Valencia, Almer\u00eda, Granada and the Balearic island of Mallorca.<\/p>\n<p>The proposal includes 21 new sites of community importance (SCIs) under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/en\/datahub\/datahubitem-view\/6fc8ad2d-195d-40f4-bdec-576e7d1268e4\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Natura 2000 network<\/a>. Seventeen of these are in Canary Islands waters covering 2,209 km<sup>2<\/sup> (853 mi<sup>2<\/sup>), while four more in the Mediterranean Sea will cover 5,341 km<sup>2<\/sup> (2,062 mi<sup>2<\/sup>). In addition, two new special protection areas (SPAs) will cover 14,855 km<sup>2<\/sup> (5,736 mi<sup>2<\/sup>) of offshore waters around the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n<p>The plan, the ministry writes in the proposal, \u201cwill increase the area of marine waters under Spanish sovereignty or jurisdiction that are protected by 2.08 percentage points, bringing the total to 24.53%.\u201d The proposal is now <a href=\"https:\/\/forma.administracionelectronica.gob.es\/form\/open\/corp\/20068aef-b912-4e6c-8f02-3fa82330c598\/BEWF\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">open for public consultation<\/a> until Sept. 15.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326897\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni.jpeg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326897\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni.jpeg\" alt=\"The black coral Antipathella wollastoni\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni-1200x900.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131327\/4-black-coral-Antipathella-wollastoni-610x458.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The black coral <em>Antipathella wollastoni<\/em> provides structure for biodiversity-rich marine animal forests in rocky seabeds near the Canary Islands. The species and the ecosystems it supports are vulnerable to overfishing, climate change, marine pollution and coastal development. Image Ben Jobson via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inaturalist.org\/observations\/219326105\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">iNaturalist<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY 4.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Natura 2000 SCIs and SPAs are tools established under the <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/dir\/1992\/43\/oj\/eng\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Habitats Directive<\/a>, a key instrument through which the EU has committed to protecting natural habitats threatened by human activity as part of its <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.ec.europa.eu\/strategy\/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Biodiversity Strategy for 2030<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/forma.administracionelectronica.gob.es\/form\/open\/corp\/20068aef-b912-4e6c-8f02-3fa82330c598\/BEWF\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">proposed areas<\/a> are intended to protect a range of marine habitats and species.<\/p>\n<p>The 21 SCIs focus on plants and non-avian species of animals, including seagrass meadows (<em>Posidonia oceanica<\/em> and<em> Cymodocea nodosa<\/em>), reefs and submarine canyons, as well as areas supporting cetaceans, marine turtles and other species of conservation interest. The two SPAs focus on seabirds, such as the Barolo shearwater (<em>Puffinus baroli<\/em>) and Bulwer\u2019s petrel (<em>Bulweria bulwerii<\/em>), as well as important feeding grounds for additional seabirds and other protected species.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Canary Islands are in the heart of the Macaronesian waters,\u201d Carlos Mallo Molina, founder of the Canary Islands-based NGO Innoceana and member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/mpacanaryislands.org\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">MPAs Canary Islands project<\/a>, told Mongabay.<\/p>\n<p>According to Molina, the Spanish proposal is a significant milestone towards protecting this area, which contains exceptional biodiversity. \u201cAll of that region is a hotspot for whales,\u201d he said. \u201cThe islands itself are in the middle of the ocean, so they are almost like giant pinnacles showing up, and there are a lot of sharks, there is seagrass, we have deep corals, we have a lot of species.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326896\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131054\/2-green-sea-turtle.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326896\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131054\/2-green-sea-turtle.jpg\" alt=\"A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) off the coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Image by victus via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0).\" width=\"1206\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131054\/2-green-sea-turtle.jpg 1206w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131054\/2-green-sea-turtle-768x679.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131054\/2-green-sea-turtle-1200x1062.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131054\/2-green-sea-turtle-610x540.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1206px) 100vw, 1206px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A green sea turtle (<em>Chelonia mydas<\/em>) off the coast of Tenerife. The Canary Islands host a key population of this species in the Eastern Atlantic, where juveniles and subadults come to shallow areas to feed on seagrass meadows and complete their development. Image by victus via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inaturalist.org\/observations\/342472938\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">iNaturalist<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC 4.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Marine protected areas vs pa<\/strong><strong>per parks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To meet its international commitment to protect at least 30% of its seas and oceans by 2030, as set out in the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2022\/12\/nations-adopt-kunming-montreal-global-biodiversity-framework\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a>, Spain has so far designated marine protected areas (MPAs) covering approximately 240,000 km<sup>2<\/sup> (nearly 92,700 mi<sup>2<\/sup>), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miteco.gob.es\/es\/prensa\/ultimas-noticias\/2026\/junio\/los-avances-de-una-decada-de-investigacion-y-participacion-socia\/jcr:content\/root\/container\/container-main\/container-content\/press_release_form.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">equivalent to 22.5% of the total<\/a> area of its waters.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, the European Commission launched <a href=\"https:\/\/barcelona.spain.representation.ec.europa.eu\/noticies-i-esdeveniments\/noticies\/paquet-dinfraccions-del-mes-de-setembre-principals-decisions-sobre-espanya-2023-09-28_ca\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">an infringement procedure<\/a> against Spain for violating the Habitats Directive, deeming the number, size and location of the sites proposed by the country for the Natura 2000 network to be insufficient. That same year, <a href=\"https:\/\/fundacion-biodiversidad.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/260612-NP-Resultados-LIFE-INTEMARES.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">MITECO approved<\/a> the creation of seven new marine sites within the Natura 2000 network, followed by five more in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe think that Spain is in a good direction in terms of designation,\u201d Helena \u00c1lvarez, a senior marine scientist at the U.S.-based NGO Oceana, told Mongabay. \u201cThe problem comes when you compare the area designated with the areas that have an actual management plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oceana and other conservation groups have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medseaalliance.org\/update\/behind-the-paper-parks-what-spains-mpas-reveal-about-protection-on-paper-vs-reality\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">repeatedly raised concerns<\/a> about the state of Spain\u2019s MPAs, highlighting a significant discrepancy between areas designated \u201con paper\u201d and those that are subject to effective protection.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326898\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131819\/9-eastern-North-Atlantic-Ocean.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326898\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131819\/9-eastern-North-Atlantic-Ocean.jpg\" alt=\"The Spanish government has proposed protections for 22,405 square kilometers (8,651 square miles) of marine waters primarily in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean around the Canary Islands, part of a region known as Macaronesia. Image by Francesco De Augustinis for Mongabay, using data from Spain\u2019s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131819\/9-eastern-North-Atlantic-Ocean.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131819\/9-eastern-North-Atlantic-Ocean-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131819\/9-eastern-North-Atlantic-Ocean-1200x659.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131819\/9-eastern-North-Atlantic-Ocean-610x335.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Spanish government has proposed protections for 22,405 square kilometers (8,651 square miles) of marine waters primarily in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean around the Canary Islands, part of a region known as Macaronesia. Image by Francesco De Augustinis for Mongabay, using data from Spain\u2019s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and Google Earth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131825\/10-proposed-marine-protected-areas.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326899\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131825\/10-proposed-marine-protected-areas.jpg\" alt=\"The proposed marine protected areas also cover parts of the Mediterranean along the coasts of Valencia, Almer\u00eda, Granada and the Balearic island of Mallorca. Image by Francesco De Augustinis for Mongabay, using data from Spain\u2019s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131825\/10-proposed-marine-protected-areas.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131825\/10-proposed-marine-protected-areas-768x408.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131825\/10-proposed-marine-protected-areas-1200x638.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21131825\/10-proposed-marine-protected-areas-610x324.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The proposed marine protected areas also cover parts of the Mediterranean along the coasts of Valencia, Almer\u00eda, Granada and the Balearic island of Mallorca. Image by Francesco De Augustinis for Mongabay, using data from Spain\u2019s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and Google Earth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to \u00c1lvarez, that discrepancy can be attributed to two things: Delays in adopting management plans for already-designated MPAs; and insufficient protection measures, even in areas where management plans have been put in place, allowing destructive activities such as bottom trawling to continue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes they fish more inside designated Natura 2000 [sites] than outside, which is nonsense in terms of conservation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Oceana, together with the U.K.-based NGO ClientEarth, sued the Spanish government <a href=\"https:\/\/europe.oceana.org\/es\/press-releases\/oceana-y-clientearth-demandan-al-gobierno-espanol-por-permitir-la-pesca-de-arrastre-de-fondo-en-areas-marinas-protegida\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">in 2024<\/a> and again in <a href=\"https:\/\/europe.oceana.org\/es\/press-releases\/clientearth-y-oceana-llevan-al-gobierno-espanol-ante-los-tribunales-de-nuevo-por-permitir-la-pesca-de-arrastre-en-areas-marinas-protegidas\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2025<\/a> over its issuance of licenses that systematically allow bottom trawling in MPAs without carrying out the environmental impact assessments required under EU law. \u201cFor us this is a misinterpretation of the Habitats Directive,\u201d \u00c1lvarez said.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0308597X25001010\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">a 2025 study<\/a> published in <em>Marine Policy<\/em>, 63% of the area covered by Spanish MPAs in the Mediterranean Sea is not protected strictly enough to effectively safeguard biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p>\u00c1lvarez also highlighted Spain\u2019s delay in meeting another target set out in the EU\u2019s biodiversity strategy: Placing 10% of its waters under \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iucn.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-07\/Strict-protection-IUCN-WCPA-input-to-the-EU.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">strict protection<\/a>\u201c, meaning that the areas are left undisturbed from human pressures. \u201cSpain is very far\u201d from meeting this target, she said, \u201cAt the moment, less than 0.1% of its waters are considered strictly protected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mpacanaryislands.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Estado-MPAs-en-Canarias-2026-01-Executive-summary-ENG-WEB.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">According to a report published in January<\/a> by MPAs Canary Islands, the situation in the Canary Islands is even worse. There are already 39 marine areas linked to the Natura 2000 network within the Canary Islands Marine Demarcation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miteco.gob.es\/content\/dam\/miteco\/es\/costas\/participacion-publica\/anexoiican_r_tcm30-528995.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">an area<\/a> of approximately 486,000 km2 (187,646 mi2), over which Spain exercises jurisdiction, But only 11% of these are actively managed and less than 1% can be classified as \u201cfully protected\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326901\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes.jpg\" alt=\"The giant rock formations Acantilados de Los Gigantes on the western coast of Tenerife. Coastal development in the Canary Islands is one of many threats to marine life here. Image by Bob Hall via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). \" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21132256\/8-Acantilados-de-Los-Gigantes-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The giant rock formations Acantilados de Los Gigantes on the western coast of Tenerife. Coastal development in the Canary Islands is one of many threats to marine life here. Image by Bob Hall via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/bobhall106\/16224502938\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThey are in the papers, but we are waiting for management plans to be effective and for budgets to be deployed,\u201d Innoceana\u2019s Molina said. The campaigner added that he hopes, after the approval, that the new proposed MPAs will undergo a participatory process to ensure the involvement of various local and national institutions, the private sector and civil society groups.<\/p>\n<p>Mongabay contacted MITECO for comment, but did not receive a response by time of publication.<\/p>\n<p>Under the Habitats Directive, once the Spanish government\u2019s formal consultation period concludes in September, the European Commission will have to approve the designations. Spain will then have six years to develop the corresponding management plans.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> Found across the Canary Islands, the scarlet sea fan (<\/em>Leptogorgia ruberrima<em>) is a soft octocoral that provides shelter and food for many fish and other marine organisms. Image by thorsten72 via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inaturalist.org\/observations\/49812847\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">iNaturalist<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC 4.0<\/a>).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"14mkIs5nnS\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/02\/azores-dodges-proposal-to-overturn-no-fishing-zones-in-its-giant-new-mpa-network\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Azores dodges proposal to overturn no-fishing zones in its giant new MPA network<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cAzores dodges proposal to overturn no-fishing zones in its giant new MPA network\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/02\/azores-dodges-proposal-to-overturn-no-fishing-zones-in-its-giant-new-mpa-network\/embed\/#?secret=RffPPsOj64#?secret=14mkIs5nnS\" data-secret=\"14mkIs5nnS\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Citation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Castro-Cadenas,\u00a0M.\u00a0D., Barreiros,\u00a0M., Bas,\u00a0M., Ortega,\u00a0M., Claudet,\u00a0J., Coll,\u00a0M., &amp; Sbragaglia,\u00a0V. (2025). Fishing activities within Spanish marine protected areas in the Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0<em>Marine Policy<\/em>,\u00a0<em>177<\/em>, 106686. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0308597X25001010\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1016\/j.marpol.2025.106686<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Feedback<\/strong>: Use <a href=\"https:\/\/form.jotform.com\/260768810431356\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">this form<\/a> to send a message to the editor of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Francesco De Augustinis (2026). Spain proposes 23 new marine protected areas in the Canary Islands and Mediterranean. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-326890\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-326890<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/341f72173691ea70012235b352cf9dc5f9f8943ceb299f4737ea84a18d57819c?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/341f72173691ea70012235b352cf9dc5f9f8943ceb299f4737ea84a18d57819c?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; The proposal represents Spain\u2019s latest effort to advance protection of 30% of its waters&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[761,12,2120,1562,760,2121,14,9,2119,696,11,13,722,10,2],"class_list":["post-765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-areas","tag-bermain","tag-canary","tag-islands","tag-marine","tag-mediterranean","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-proposes","tag-protected","tag-saat","tag-slot","tag-spain","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}