Cabrera, one of the gems of the Balearics. | A. Estabén

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The commission for the expansion of the Cabrera National Park announced today it is going to proceed with plans to expand the area of the marine reserve and that it will be discussing three possible options.

The first is to expand the protected area by 20,000 hectares, the second is by a massive 90,000 hectares while the final option will be finding a common ground in the middle to ensure that the marine reserve is correctly managed.

Whatever the final discussion, a number of aspects are going to be taken into account, such as the current condition of the marine habitats and the pressure and threats the marine life faces from yachts and visiting tourists.

There was agreement on a road map which must be settled within the space of a year before being open to public consultation for two months prior to the final decision being implemented. The Balearic government has given the expansion of the natural reserve its full approval and work has already begun.

Over the past two months, the commission has been gathering information and also discussing the project with the various sectors which could be affected.

The commission has also been examining similar projects in other areas of Spain where new natural marine parks have been created to ease the pressure on marine life and rare or threatened species which have been found living or breeding in those areas.