MC-SALT - Environmental Management and
Restoration of Mediterranean Salt Works and
Coastal Lagoons
LIFE10 NAT/IT/000256
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data R e a d m o r e Contact details:
Project Manager: Maria Pia PAGLIARUSCO
Tel: +39 0533 314003
Fax: +39 0533 318007
Email: [email protected]
Project description:
Background
In the coastal lagoons of Italy, France and Bulgaria, the following main threats
have been identified: a progressive decline in the capacity of water circulation;
loss of nesting habitat and disturbance from seagulls (Larus michahellis); loss of
attractiveness and historical value; coastal habitat degradation and destruction
resulting from the construction of embankments; disruption to hydraulic
management and loss of favourable trophic and nesting conditions for birds;
loss of suitable breeding conditions for colonial coastal waterbirds, including
greater flamingo, pied avocet, slender-billed gull, Mediterranean gull, sandwich
tern, gull-billed tern and common tern; disturbance of little tern colonies; loss
and degradation of nesting habitat for target bird species; degradation of
habitats by invasive species; the collision of birds on electrical lines; and
accidental fires. Objectives
This project targets six Natura 2000 sites in coastal salt meadows in Italy, France
and Bulgaria. It aims to improve the conservation status of coastal and dunes
habitat types (in particular, coastal lagoons) and breeding bird species (greater
flamingo, as well as various tern, wader and gull species listed in Annex I of the
Birds Directive). The main conservation actions to be undertaken are the optimisation of water
flow in the salt works (by reconstructing sluices and drainage channels etc.), the
creation artificial breeding islands, the purchase of electrical power lines and the
management of invasive seagulls. Bird species targeted include: Aythya nyroca;
Charadrius alexandrinus; Charadrius dubius; Cygnus olor; Gelochelidon nilotica;
Himantopus himantopus; Larus genei; Larus melanocephalus; Larus ridibundus;
Phoenicopterus roseus; Podiceps cristatus; Recurvirostra avosetta; Sterna albifrons;
Sterna hirundo; Sterna sandvicensis; a n d T a d o r n a t a d o r n a.
Secondary objectives of the project include the creation of a management model
for salt meadows, the drawing up of guidelines for seagull ( Larus michahellis)
disturbance mitigation, the enhancement of the tourist product and the
reduction of the impact of visitors, and the approval of a management plan for
the Cervia site.
Expected results: The expected results can be summarised as follows: The restoration and conservation of about 14 000 hectares of coastal lagoon
habitat, including about 7 600 ha in the Aigues-Mortes site, 5 000 ha in the
Camargue, 750 ha in the Cervia site and 600 ha in the Molentargius site;
The conservation, including fire prevention and invasive plant removal, of a
wide range of habitats, including: Salicornia and other annuals colonising
mud and sand, Mediterranean salted meadows; 1420 Mediterranean
halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi); Mediterranean salt steppes
(Limonietalia); Southern riparian galleries and thickets (Nerio-Tamaricetea
and Securinegion tinctoriae); and shifting dunes along the shoreline with A m m o p h i l a a r e n a r i a e;
The construction of a new flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) breeding ground
in the Camargue site, and new breeding islets for Recurvirostra avosetta,
Sterna hirundo, Sterna sandvicensis, Sterna nilotica a n d Larus genei. The
populations of these species are expected to recover to the sizes recorded
during the 1980s to early 2000s in “Ancien salins de Beauduc”;
The restoration of suitable breeding conditions, including the mitigation of
seagull disturbance, in about 1500 hectares in the Aigues-Mortes site, as
well as the burial of 3.5 km of aerial electrical lines, which present a serious
threat to the flamingo;
The construction of 0.2 ha of new islets at the Cervia site for the breeding of
Sterna hirundo, Himantopus himantopus, Recurvirostra avosetta, a n d S t e r n a
albifrons and for the reduction of seagull disturbance. At the Molentargius
site, 0.5 ha of new islets will be constructed for the breeding of Larus genei,
Gelochelidon nilotica, Sterna hirundo, Sterna albifrons, Himantopus
himantopus, Recurvirostra avosetta a n d T a d o r n a t a d o r n a;
The creation and printing in four languages (English, French, Italian and
Bulgarian) of a management model for the Mediterranean salt work, and the
publication of guidelines for seagull disturbance mitigation. Around 2 000
paper copies of the management model (500 for each language) and 2 000
paper copies of the guidelines (500 for each language) will be produced;
The construction of two bird-watching towers (useful for monitoring tasks)
at the Molentargius site and a bird-watching tower at the Cervia site – the
historical building located at the entrance of Comacchio salt work will be
renovated; The drawing up of a management plan for the Cervia site IT4070007.
Results
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Environmental issues addressed:
Themes
Habitats - Coastal
Keywords
coastal area‚ nature conservation Target species
Aythya nyroca Charadrius alexandrinus Gelochelidon nilotica Himantopus
himantopus Larus genei Larus melanocephalus Phoenicopterus ruber Recurvirostra avosetta Sterna albifrons Sterna hirundo Sterna sandvicensis Target Habitat types
1150 - Coa s t a l l ag o o n s
1310 - Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand
1410 - Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi)
1420 - Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs
(Sarcocornetea fruticosi)
1510 - Mediterranean salt steppes (Limonietalia)
2120 - Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria ("white
dunes")
92D0 - Southern riparian galleries and thickets (Nerio-Tamaricetea and
Securinegion tinctoriae)
Natura 2000 sites
SPA
SPA
SCI
SCI
SCI
SCI
SPA
FR9310019
ITB044002
FR9101406
FR9301592
IT4060002
ITB040022
FR9112013
Camargue
Saline di Molentargius
PETITE CAMARGUE
CAMARGUE
Valli di Comacchio
Stagno di Molentargius e territori limitrofi
PETITE CAMARGUE LAGUNO-MARINE
SCI BG0000620
SPA BG0000152
Pomorie
Pomoriysko ezero
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Beneficiaries:
Coordinator
Type of organisation
Description
Partners
Ente di Gestione per i Parchi e la Biodiversità Delta del Po
Park-Reserve authority
The co-ordinating beneficiary is a public
consortium, Consorzio del Parco Regionale del
Delta del Po dell’Emilia-Romagna, which
manages the regional park of Delta del Po and
is made up of the municipalities of Goro,
Mesola, Codigoro, Comacchio, Ostellato,
Argenta, Alfonsine, Ravenna, Cervia and the
provinces of Ferrara and Ravenna. In
compliance with the Regional Law L.R. n.
7/2004, the consortium also manages the
Natura 2000 site, SCI-SPA “Valli di Comacchio”,
inside the regional park. The consortium has
been involved in several LIFE Nature projects in
the past. Consorzio del Parco Naturale Regionale
Molentargius-Saline (Sardegna), Italy Parc
Naturel Régional de Camargue, France Green
Balkans NGO, Bulgaria Compagnie des Salins
du Midi et des Salins de l'Est, France Tour du
Valat, France Top
Administrative data:
Project reference
Duration
Total budget
EU contribution
Project location
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LIFE10 NAT/IT/000256
01-OCT-2011 to 31-MAR -2016
4,949,869.00 €
2,395,663.00 €
Associated Bulgaria (BG)(Bulgaria
Balgarija),Languedoc-Roussillon(France),Provence-Alpes-Côte
d' Azur(France),Emilia-Romagna(Italia),Sardegna(Italia)
Read more:
Project web site
Project's website
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Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data R e a d m o r e