The Western Mariña Coast SAC (ES1120017) is located on the western edge of the northern coast of the province of Lugo, known as Mariña Lucense. Its boundaries are mainly limited to the coastal strip, which includes primarily eulittoral ecosystems, as well as a small proportion of the coastal supralittoral: dune systems, wetlands, and marine ecosystems that host priority biodiversity conservation within the Natura 2000 Network. It also includes several islets, such as Coelleira, Gaveira, Insua da Area, Netos, O Ansarón, Insua da Cal, and Farallóns. The SAC boundaries are thus distributed among the municipalities of O Vicedo, Viveiro, Xove, and Cervo.
ZEC Costa da Mariña occidental – ES1120017
OVERVIEW
Area (ha): 491,24 ha
Natura 2000 Code: ES1120017
Other protection statuses according to national or regional legislation:
The territorial scope of this SAC partially overlaps with the Western Coast of Mariña SPA (ES0000372) and connects with the Western Galician-Cantabrian Migration Corridor SPA (ES0000554). Furthermore, in accordance with Law 42/2007 (state) and Law 5/2019 (regional), this SAC is simultaneously considered a Protected Natural Area, within the Protected Area category of the Natura 2000 Network.
CURRENT SITUATION AND CONSERVATION ACTIONS OF THE PROJECT
Approximately 7% of the surface area of the Western Costa da Mariña SAC (ES1120017) corresponds to marine zones. Of the remaining 83% (land area), natural environments (dune systems, wetlands, coastal scrub, and cliffs) represent 69% of the SAC, areas with forest plantations of non-native species represent 15%, rural areas represent 7%, and urbanized areas represent the remaining 2%.
The marine area of the Western Coast SAC (ES1120017) corresponds to the territorial waters of the Spanish State. The majority of the land area corresponds to the areas closest to the coastline, included in the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain, where specific LIFE GLOBAL conservation actions will be carried out. The remaining land area is privately owned.
This area has a broad complex of coastal ecosystems that harbor high biodiversity, making it an ecological enclave of great value. Considering the strategic role of these ecosystems, LIFE GLOBAL includes a series of specific conservation measures in the Costa da Mariña Occidental SAC (ES1120017) to improve the conservation status of types 4020*, 4040*, and 7220*, whose sensitivity and fragility to the threats and pressures detected by this project is greater than in other habitats present.