GOBIERNO MINISTERIO SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE ESPAÑA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE, Y DEL MAR MEDIO RURAL Y MARINO

RED IBEROAMERICANA DE RESERVAS MARINAS

RESERVAS MARINAS DE ESPAÑA

UNIÓN EUROPEA

USEFUL ADDRESSES

Secretaría General del Mar Velázquez, 144 28006 Phone: +34 913 476 000 Fax: +34 913 476 046 Dependencia del Área Funcional de Agricultura y Pesca Subdelegación de Gobierno de Plaça Imperial Tarraco, 4 - 2ª 43005 Tarragona Phone: +34 977 999 060 Fax: +34 977 224 552 Caseta de información y vigilancia de guardapescas de la reserva marina Paseo Marítimo s/n Cala Berenguer, Comarruga Ayuntamiento de El Vendrell Plaça Vella, 1 43700 El Vendrell (Tarragona) Phone: +34 977 166 400 Fax: +34 977 661 179 CONVENTIONAL SIGNS LEYENDA http://www.elvendrell.net Patronato Municipal de Turismo No-take reserve: 0.2 miles Reserva integral: 0,2 millas Oficina de Turismo Buffer zone: 0.6 miles Zona de amortiguación: 0,6 millas Av. Brisamar, 1 · Certain professional fishing with prior authorization of MARM* · Determinadas pescas profesionales autorizadas por el MARM* 43880 Comarruga (El Vendrell) · Scuba diving with prior authorization of MARM* · Buceo autónomo con autorización del MARM* Phone: +34 977 680 010 Fax: +34 977 683 654 Limit of the marine reserve Límite de la reserva Contact: [email protected]

*Unless closure *Salvo veda Marine reserves website: www.reservasmarinas.net Contact: [email protected] NIPO 770-09-004-9 Benjamín García María Rosa Olives Dolcet María Rosa Olives Dolcet María Rosa Olives Dolcet María Rosa Olives Dolcet

DESIGNATION Habitual artisanal fleets in the area come from and . - Removal of any kind of fauna and flora for scientific purposes, with Beds of Posidonia oceanica abound, forming a rich labyrinth of invertebrates: They mainly catch the following species: European conger, red scorpionfish, prior authorization of the SGM Common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and Noble pen shell, (Pinna nobilis) The reserve of Masía Blanca is situated in waters beyond baselines in rockfish, striped seabreams, white seabream forkbeard European seabass, and vertebrates: Red mullet (Mullus surmuletus), gilthead seabream (Spaurus front of the beaches of El Vendrell, beside the port of Comarruga gilthead seabream, common octopus, common cuttlefish, red mullet and However, pursuant to the ORDER of 26th June 2007 (BOE no. 160 of 5th aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), amongst others. (Tarragona). This marine reserve was created under the Ministerial common spiny lobster. July 2007), the following is effective: Order of 21st December 1999 (BOE no. 7 of 8th January 2000) by Three different communities are evident, depending on substrate type: the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA - ACTIVITIES IN THE MARINE RESERVE - A three-year closure period (until 5th July 2010) for any kind of activities, communities in soft substrate covered by Posidonia oceanica beds, soft Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación) for the purpose of unless of a scientific purpose, throughout the reserve substrate with no vegetation, characterised by the sand in which a rich protecting exceptional rocky sea beds in a predominantly sandy area. Prohibited activities fauna of invertebrates, small crustaceans and benthonic (sea bottom) THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT fish is developed and, finally, sea beds of hard substrate characterised The marine reserve, with a 457 ha area, is marked off by a 0.2 mile - Professional marine fishing by fishermen whose boats have not been A great variety of sea beds are found in the reserve, in particular Posidonia by biogenic rock where algae from the Coralinegic family form a highly radius circle (no-take reserve), whose midpoint falls within the entered in the specific census for vessels authorized for this activity in oceanica beds and maerl bottoms. These sea beds are formed by sandbanks rugged relief with numerous crevices which serve as a refuge for coordinates 1o 30' 40.2'' E and 41o 10' 27'' N. There is a buffer zone the reserve’s waters lying perpendicular to the coast, on a sandy sea bed, and another, very countless ocean floor organisms and are known locally as a "Grapissar" outside the reserve, marked off by a 0.6 mile wide circle which is Activities subject to authorization long, sandbank parallel to the coastline, in the deepest part of the reserve. ecosystem, otherwise known as “Maerl”. concentric to the circumference of the no-take reserve. - In the no-take marine reserve, any kind of marine fishing or removal They are of calcareous composition and serve as a substrate for infralittoral PRACTICAL ADVICE The marine reserve of Masía Blanca also belongs to the Natura 2000 of flora or fauna, except for scientific purposes and with prior and precoraligenic communities. Its depth varies from 4 to 16 metres. Network. A marine reserve is a protected area. Its conservation depends on authorization of the General Secretariat of Sea (SGM - Secretaría BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES everyone: AIMS OF THE MARINE RESERVE: ARTISANAL FISHERIES General del Mar) Its relief, in the sea and on land, provides a refuge for countless species - Find out about its restrictions The marine reserves are particularly important for sustaining artisanal - Inside the buffer zone and outside the no-take reserve: and is a positive factor for biodiversity: on the coast there are dunes which fisheries activities; often pushed out of their habitual areas by - Help to protect and maintain it and remember that any kind of - Bottom longline and trammel net professional fishing, with prior have arisen from the action of the wind against the constructions on the professional fleets. fishing and/or unauthorized removal of marine flora or fauna is authorization of SGM coast, whereby fixed dunes have been colonised by plants which form a prohibited This reserve aims to regenerate the most traditional fisheries resources complete community of foliage typical of sandy floors. - Scuba diving may take place when authorized by the Head of the in the area, whose fishing gear permits more selective catching: Agency of the Functional Area of Agriculture and Fisheries Waters from the Font Deu de Brisamar thermal spring reach the marine trammel net and bottom longline fishing. This means the special (Dependencia del Área Funcional de Agricultura y Pesca) of Tarragona reserve. These waters bubble up at 19oC and enrich the reserve's waters habitats inhabited by coastal sea bed and sandy sea bed species must Province naturally. be protected.