YEARS of blood, sweat and toil have foiled the latest attempt to exploit the natural resources of Donana National Park, to the detriment of its wildlife.
The Junta’s Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has rejected, albeit provisionally, Gas Natural’s proposal to drill for and store natural gas in the protected wetlands.
The decision comes two months after the park’s Consejo de Participacion rejected an oil project from Marismas Oriental, declaring it would be fundamentally opposed to nature conservation.
Ecologists in Action and WWF are delighted, especially given that the park is also a key habitat for the endangered Iberian lynx.
But while the battle is won, the war is not yet over. Gas Natural is expected to appeal against the ‘provisional’ decision on the grounds that there was an ‘unjustifiable delay’ of over two years in the proceedings.
Doñana, between Sevilla, Cadiz and Huelva provinces, is one of Spain’s most important reserves, famous for its thousands of migratory birds.
