+34 913 476 000 Fax: +34 913 476 046 Dependenci

GOBIERNO
DE ESPAÑA
MINISTERIO
DE MEDIO AMBIENTE, Y
MEDIO RURAL Y MARINO
SECRETARÍA GENERAL
DEL MAR
RED IBEROAMERICANA DE RESERVAS MARINAS
RESERVAS MARINAS DE ESPAÑA
UNIÓN EUROPEA
USEFUL ADDRESSES
LEYENDA
No-take reserve: 0.2 miles
Reserva integral: 0,2 millas
Buffer zone: 0.6 miles
· Certain professional fishing with prior authorization of MARM*
· Scuba diving with prior authorization of MARM*
Zona de amortiguación: 0,6 millas
· Determinadas pescas profesionales autorizadas por el MARM*
· Buceo autónomo con autorización del MARM*
Limit of the marine reserve
Límite de la reserva
*Unless closure
*Salvo veda
Marine reserves website: www.reservasmarinas.net
Contact: [email protected]
NIPO 770-09-004-9
CONVENTIONAL SIGNS
Secretaría General del Mar
Velázquez, 144
28006 Madrid
Phone: +34 913 476 000
Fax: +34 913 476 046
Dependencia del Área Funcional de Agricultura y Pesca
Subdelegación de Gobierno de Tarragona
Plaça Imperial Tarraco, 4 - 2ª
43005 Tarragona
Phone: +34 977 999 060
Fax: +34 977 224 552
Caseta de información y vigilancia de guardapescas
de la reserva marina
Paseo Marítimo s/n
Cala Berenguer, Comarruga
El Vendrell
Ayuntamiento de El Vendrell
Plaça Vella, 1
43700 El Vendrell (Tarragona)
Phone: +34 977 166 400
Fax: +34 977 661 179
http://www.elvendrell.net
Patronato Municipal de Turismo
Oficina de Turismo
Av. Brisamar, 1
43880 Comarruga (El Vendrell)
Phone: +34 977 680 010
Fax: +34 977 683 654
Contact: [email protected]
Benjamín García
María Rosa Olives Dolcet
María Rosa Olives Dolcet
DESIGNATION
Habitual artisanal fleets in the area come from Calafell and Torredembarra.
They mainly catch the following species: European conger, red scorpionfish,
rockfish, striped seabreams, white seabream forkbeard European seabass,
gilthead seabream, common octopus, common cuttlefish, red mullet and
common spiny lobster.
The reserve of Masía Blanca is situated in waters beyond baselines in
front of the beaches of El Vendrell, beside the port of Comarruga
(Tarragona). This marine reserve was created under the Ministerial
Order of 21st December 1999 (BOE no. 7 of 8th January 2000) by
the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación) for the purpose of
protecting exceptional rocky sea beds in a predominantly sandy area.
The marine reserve, with a 457 ha area, is marked off by a 0.2 mile
radius circle (no-take reserve), whose midpoint falls within the
coordinates 1o 30' 40.2'' E and 41o 10' 27'' N. There is a buffer zone
outside the reserve, marked off by a 0.6 mile wide circle which is
concentric to the circumference of the no-take reserve.
The marine reserve of Masía Blanca also belongs to the Natura 2000
Network.
AIMS OF THE MARINE RESERVE: ARTISANAL FISHERIES
The marine reserves are particularly important for sustaining artisanal
fisheries activities; often pushed out of their habitual areas by
professional fleets.
This reserve aims to regenerate the most traditional fisheries resources
in the area, whose fishing gear permits more selective catching:
trammel net and bottom longline fishing. This means the special
habitats inhabited by coastal sea bed and sandy sea bed species must
be protected.
ACTIVITIES IN THE MARINE RESERVE
Prohibited activities
- Professional marine fishing by fishermen whose boats have not been
entered in the specific census for vessels authorized for this activity in
the reserve’s waters
Activities subject to authorization
María Rosa Olives Dolcet
- Removal of any kind of fauna and flora for scientific purposes, with
prior authorization of the SGM
However, pursuant to the ORDER of 26th June 2007 (BOE no. 160 of 5th
July 2007), the following is effective:
- A three-year closure period (until 5th July 2010) for any kind of activities,
unless of a scientific purpose, throughout the reserve
THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
A great variety of sea beds are found in the reserve, in particular Posidonia
oceanica beds and maerl bottoms. These sea beds are formed by sandbanks
lying perpendicular to the coast, on a sandy sea bed, and another, very
long, sandbank parallel to the coastline, in the deepest part of the reserve.
- In the no-take marine reserve, any kind of marine fishing or removal
of flora or fauna, except for scientific purposes and with prior
authorization of the General Secretariat of Sea (SGM - Secretaría
General del Mar)
They are of calcareous composition and serve as a substrate for infralittoral
and precoraligenic communities. Its depth varies from 4 to 16 metres.
- Inside the buffer zone and outside the no-take reserve:
Its relief, in the sea and on land, provides a refuge for countless species
and is a positive factor for biodiversity: on the coast there are dunes which
have arisen from the action of the wind against the constructions on the
coast, whereby fixed dunes have been colonised by plants which form a
complete community of foliage typical of sandy floors.
- Bottom longline and trammel net professional fishing, with prior
authorization of SGM
- Scuba diving may take place when authorized by the Head of the
Agency of the Functional Area of Agriculture and Fisheries
(Dependencia del Área Funcional de Agricultura y Pesca) of Tarragona
Province
BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES
Waters from the Font Deu de Brisamar thermal spring reach the marine
reserve. These waters bubble up at 19oC and enrich the reserve's waters
naturally.
María Rosa Olives Dolcet
Beds of Posidonia oceanica abound, forming a rich labyrinth of invertebrates:
Common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and Noble pen shell, (Pinna nobilis)
and vertebrates: Red mullet (Mullus surmuletus), gilthead seabream (Spaurus
aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), amongst others.
Three different communities are evident, depending on substrate type:
communities in soft substrate covered by Posidonia oceanica beds, soft
substrate with no vegetation, characterised by the sand in which a rich
fauna of invertebrates, small crustaceans and benthonic (sea bottom)
fish is developed and, finally, sea beds of hard substrate characterised
by biogenic rock where algae from the Coralinegic family form a highly
rugged relief with numerous crevices which serve as a refuge for
countless ocean floor organisms and are known locally as a "Grapissar"
ecosystem, otherwise known as “Maerl”.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
A marine reserve is a protected area. Its conservation depends on
everyone:
- Find out about its restrictions
- Help to protect and maintain it and remember that any kind of
fishing and/or unauthorized removal of marine flora or fauna is
prohibited