Spain proposes 23 new marine protected areas in the Canary Islands and Mediterranean

Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition has opened public consultation on 23 new marine protected areas spanning 22,405 square kilometers around the Canary Islands and Mediterranean coast, part of a pledge to protect 30% of national waters by 2030. The proposal would add 21 sites under the EU's Natura 2000 network and push Spain's protected share from 22.5% to 24.53%.

The plan follows a 2023 EU infringement procedure that found Spain's existing network too small and poorly located. Conservation groups including Oceana and Innoceana welcome the expansion but point out that only 11% of existing Canary Islands marine sites have active management plans, and less than 1% qualify as fully protected.

Oceana has twice sued the Spanish government over licenses permitting bottom trawling inside supposedly protected areas without required environmental assessments. A 2025 study found 63% of Spain's Mediterranean MPA area isn't strictly protected enough to safeguard biodiversity, and strict protection nationally sits under 0.1% of waters.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.