Invasive species removed to protect natural parkland

RESTORATION works to restore degraded areas of the Natural Park of La Mata and Torrevieja have been under way.

In areas around the Torretas III and Camping Mi Sol urbanisations, work has been taking place to remove invasive alien species such as acacia, agave, aloe, yucca and cat’s claw in order to halt their spread. Torrevieja’s Councillor for the Environment, Francisco Moreno, reports that restoration has been carried out since November funded through a partnership agreement between the Generalitat Valenciana regional government, through the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, and the La Caixa Foundation, signed in December 2013. It is the seventh agreement signed between the two entities, having invested more than €373,000 in different activities in the natural park since 2006.

This current project had a budget of €15,800 to remove invasive plants. Biological invasions generate increasing economic, ecological and health problems worldwide. Therefore, their control is one of the priority lines of action for the conservation of the natural environment.