Basque Country Habitats

Basque Country Habitat

In 2011, a group designed for the restorement of habitats of interest in the Basque Country was created. The main reason this idea was developed was the urgency to restore the damage created by the intricuction of a type of bush from North America. This plant is specially invasive and, thereofre, it is of great importance we try to restore the harm it has made in the estuaries of this area and try to stop it from reaching other territories. This will be made inceeding particularly on the most affected areas, the estuaries of Urdaibai and the ones of the Bidasoa and Lea rivers. These areas in which action is taking place include 314 hectares. It is also an objective to improve the conditions in which the birds are living in these areas.

Because of the magnitude of the problem, a committee has been created with the purpose of trying to control these problem and a few others affecting the estuaries in the  Atlantic coast, from Brittany to Asturias . Therefore, the collaboration between both Spanish and French ecological organizations is going on as it was wanted.

As said, other problems are affecting the Basque seaboard, and there are other initiatives going on. For example, in Hondarribia, the local government is trying to restore the duns that were once present in its beaches. These duns helped protect the town from the sea, it is also a reserve and a habitat almost disappeared in Gipuzkoa. Apart from these benefits, it is also a problem that the sand on these duns is ending up in the estuary of the Bidasoa and it is also reaching the urban perimeter of the town.

Judging from these initiatives, it is said to say our natural habitats are in the right hands and are being taken care of exceptionally well.

By Araceli Vázquez Medel

 and Sandra Cerezo Montes