SPANISH MARINE POLICY - ROLE OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

The network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Spain began to take sh ape at the beginning of the current decade. Although MPAs are limited both in number and in area, they do however operate within a legal fra mework which enables the protection of natural space to be extended to the maritime environment. Given the state's political-territorial org anization, protection initiatives come from both the central governmen t and the autonomous regions. This means that a greater degree of coor dination is necessary between the 10 riparian autonomous regions and t he national administration.