A Special Protection Area is a place in the European Union with bird populations that need to be protected and better managed. In addition, the areas used by migratory birds are also protected.
The SPA is designated through a European Directive: The Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds). The purpose of this standard is to protect all European wild birds and habitats of a number of species, in particular through the designation of SPAs.
The Autonomous Communities are competent in the official declaration of a SPA, so that finally, each Member State communicates the new SPAs to the European Commission, and these are directly integrated into the Natura 2000 Network.
As we explained here, the Natura 2000 Network is a European ecological network of biodiversity conservation areas. It consists of Special Conservation Zones (ZEC) (which we will explain another day) established in accordance with the Habitat Directive and Special Protection Areas.
You can also find more information at the following links of the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico:
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/espacios-protegidos/red-natura-2000/default.aspx
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/espacios-protegidos/red-natura-2000/zepa.aspx
The Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar SPA (ES0000175) was designated in 1998, being the most important wetland in the Region de Murcia for the conservation of waterfowl. The Audouin’s gull, a priority species when establishing conservation measures, houses in this natural enclave the total of its breeding population in the Region of Murcia. Since 2010, this species has nested regularly in the SPA, observing a growth in its breeding population.