BIOCOSTEIRO

BIOCOSTEIRO

Biodiversity conservation in Galician-Portuguese coastal habitats to promote and attain a balanced development of local economy

The project “BIOCOSTEIRO”

The project “BIOCOSTEIRO” addresses shared environmental and tourism challenges and problems in these regions. Some of them are of great importance, which makes it necessary to jointly design and adopt strategies, action plans and sustainable solutions adapted to each region. The area covered by the project has high-priority habitats of Community interest with key ecosystem functions that have been altered or transformed, mainly due to tourism development and high coastal population density during summer. Moreover, tourism activity has also had an impact on coastal ecosystems and their species, making them more vulnerable.

The project is aimed at improving the protection and preservation of nature and biodiversity (coastal habitats and associated species, such as wintering and breeding populations of waders of special ecological interest) of those areas included in the Natura 2000 Network and in other sites of interest in the Pontevedra-Viana do Castelo cross-border area, and at reducing the presence of invasive alien species (IAS). At the same time, awareness-raising activities for schoolchildren and the general public are being carried out to promote and implement a new model of responsible and sustainable tourism management. The specific objectives of the project are as follows:

  • To plan and coordinate measures to protect and promote the conservation of Charadrius alexandrinus, Haematopus ostralegus, Numenius arquata and Platalea leucorodia populations, as well as their associated high-priority habitats of Community interest (namely beaches, maritime dunes of the Atlantic coast, sand dunes, intertidal and coastal lagoons, among others) of the Natura 2000 Network in coastal areas in the province of Pontevedra and Viana do Castelo, and reduce the presence of IAS Cortaderia selloana, Carpobrotus edulis, Acacia longifolia, Acacia melanoxylon and Acacia dealbata.
  • To design and implement a strategy for a sustainable and responsible tourism management in the Pontevedra-Viana do Castelo cross-border area, as well as to promote its biodiversity and environmental values by involving stakeholders.
  • To improve knowledge and raise awareness of the importance of conserving coastal biodiversity in this cross-border area, by means of innovative and sustainable tourism tools, and of the threats posed by tourism and IAS.

These are the main activities included in the project:

  • To carry out a common diagnosis of the territories, habitats and species identified in order to develop a standard methodology for implementing conservation measures, as well as to design a sustainable tourism strategy and develop a certification process through a sustainable tourism management commission.
  • To protect and improve the conservation of Charadrius alexandrinus, Haematopus ostralegus, Numenius arquata and Platalea leucorodia species and their associated habitats inside and outside Natura 2000 Network areas; to reduce the presence of invasive species such as Carpobrotus edulis, Cortaderia selloana and those of the genus Acacia; and to achieve a balance between biodiversity conservation and the economic viability of sustainable tourism management in Pontevedra and Viana do Castelo, by following the previously designed strategies.
  • To monitor and assess the impact of implemented conservation measures and the model of responsible and sustainable tourism management, the environmental seal and the responsible and sustainable flag in the coastal tourism sector of the Natura 2000 Network in the areas covered by the project, and to plan the necessary actions to ensure the follow-up of the project.
  • To effectively coordinate the planning and management of the project from an administrative, technical and financial perspective to ensure its adequate development and justification.
  • To disseminate the project "BIOCOSTEIRO" actively and strategically, as well as the different actions and results obtained.

Project data

CALL FOR PROPOSALS/PROGRAMME

3rd call for proposals of the Interreg VI A Spain-Portugal Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027

PARTNERS

FUNDING

75 % co-financed by the ERDF

BUDGET

  • Total: €750,682.72
  • Deputación de Pontevedra: €363,700.88
  • SEO BirdLife: €256,146.84
  • Câmara Municipal de Viana do Castelo: €130,835.00