Fresh concerns over protection of Cabrera

According to the marine conservation organisation, the Board's failings include the lack of regular meetings and its tolerance of the deterioration of park management, as no actions have been taken or declarations made against the drastic staff cuts in recent months or against the disappearance of the funds assigned to this protected space in the Balearic. “Cabrera is undergoing one of its worst periods since it was declared a national park. Over the entire last year, the Board of Trustees has breached its own regulations and thus the National Parks Act by its lack of activity,” says Xavier Pastor, Executive Director of Oceana for Europe. “The obligations of the Board of Trustees include meeting at least four times every year to organise the necessary activities and ensure compliance with any regulations concerning the park. Only one meeting was held, which moreover was announced only three days in advance. Thus, no actions have been taken in favour of this protected space.” Internal regulations also specify the roles assigned to the Chair of the Board of Trustees, a position held since December 2011 by Severiano Quevedo, someone who had never been involved in environmental issues before, and who was appointed by the Balearic Minister of Environment, Gabriel Company.

Among other things, the Chair of the Board must ensure compliance with any agreements reached. For this reason, Oceana would like to remind that in June 2011, when the previous Chair, Albert Catalán, was still at its helm, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously, with no abstentions, in favour of an agreement giving full support to the recommendations for the enlargement of the maritime area of the National Park submitted by Oceana. “The Chair of the Board of Trustees is blocking the measures unanimously taken one year ago to start the enlargement of the Cabrera National Park. He has not urged the Ministry for the Environment to carry out a full mapping of the marine habitats in the park and adjoining areas, as was agreed, or to perform any socioeconomic, legal, and management studies. He won't even answer our letters requesting a meeting to provide documents supporting this initiative. The current Chair of the Board of Trustees is damaging the management and conservation of Cabrera through his ineffectiveness,” said Pastor.