Islands come under French scrutiny

FRANCE’S Conservatoire du Littoral (Coastal Conservation Organisation) will coordinate all its Spanish operations from the former Carabineros post in Albir.

The restored building is now an Environmental Education Centre and earlier this week Alfaz’s Environment councillor Rocio Guijarro and Eduardo Minguez, the French organisation’s representative in Spain, met to discuss future activities.

“Our choice of Alfaz as our headquarters was influenced by the three islands inside the maritime sector of the Sierra Helada National Park,” Minguez said. “They have remarkable characteristics that are worth studying and conserving.”

The Conservatoire representative made special mention of the area’s spider crabs.  “At present they do not seem to be posing a problem as an invasive species but they are extending rapidly throughout the Mediterranean and we are very interested in monitoring their evolution,” Minguez said.  

He also drew attention to the Ocean Grass meadow that stretches from the island in La Olla as far as Albir.  “It is one of the most important on Spain’s Mediterranean coast and will also be closely studied,” he added.