Oceana supports the creation of a marine reserve in Calpe to restore local fisheries
Press Release Date: September 25, 2026
Location: Calpe
Contact:
Natividad Sánchez | email: nsanchez@oceana.org | tel.: +34 687 598 529
Imagery captured around the Peñón de Ifach highlight the ecological value of the area proposed for strict protection
Calpe – Oceana supports the creation of a marine reserve around the Peñón de Ifach to preserve the area’s natural values and restore its fisheries. At an event organised in Calpe, the marine conservation organization presented new underwater imagery to support the strict protection of 267 hectares, thereby joining the initiative led by the town council, the Fishers’ guild (Cofradía de Pescadores de Calp), and the Institute for research into the environment and marine science (Instituto de Investigación en Medio Ambiente y Ciencia Marina).
“The creation of a marine reserve at Peñón de Ifach would be highly beneficial for the area’s biodiversity and would support Calpe’s blue economy. We call on the Valencian regional government to approve the proposal, which enjoys broad local and scientific support. Furthermore, the marine reserve will help move towards the goal of strictly protecting 10% of Spanish waters by 2030,” said Michael Sealey, senior policy advisor at Oceana in Europe.
Oceana highlights that the proposal would protect nursery grounds and ensure the reproductive success of commercially important species such as dusky grouper, common dentex, red mullet, octopus, cuttlefish, sea bass, seabream and lobster, as well as others such as amberjack, and different species of tuna. The marine reserve would ultimately generate a spillover effect of fish into adjacent waters, improving the stability of catches and strengthening the resilience of local fishers.
“At the Calpe Fishers’ guild, we are committed to this reserve as an investment in the future of our sector, as we have seen positive results in other reserves along the coast. We professional fishermen support marine protection that is compatible with our activity, as the future of fishing depends on a healthy sea,” said Paco Català, president of the Calpe Fishers’ guild.
The proposed marine reserve largely overlaps with the current ‘Ifac Marine Area’ (Espacio Marino de Ifac) Special Area of Conservation and would help to increase its effectiveness. In addition to fish species, strict protection would help to preserve Posidonia seagrass meadows, reefs and sandbanks, which are home to numerous protected species, such as the butterfly ray. Dolphins, turtles and fin whales have also been sighted in the area.
Strict protection in the Mediterranean
The Peñón de Ifach forms part of a wider proposal by Oceana to designate strictly protected areas in the Spanish Mediterranean, both within existing protected areas and through the creation of new ones. The proposal includes 59 areas that would bring the protection of Mediterranean waters to 5%.
Currently, Spain has much less than 1% of its waters strictly protected, falling far short of the international target of reaching 10% by 2030, known as the 10×30 target. Globally, the Mediterranean is the fishing area with the highest proportion of overexploited fish stocks, making their recovery vital.
Oceana underwater pictures and footage
Learn more:
Draft declaration of a marine reserve
Report: 10×30 target. Proposal for strictly protected marine areas in the Spanish Mediterranean
