James Warren
THE Port Authority of Sevilla has won a 2020 Andalucian Environment Award for its work on bird life conservation.
The Ministry of the Environment announced the winners of the annual awards which recognise projects and organisations that lead the way in conservation and protection of Andalucian wildlife.
The big winner of the evening was the Port Authority of Sevilla, which took home the Conservation, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Award for its regeneration of the Guadalquivir Wetlands.
The Port Authority was instrumental in the creation of the lagoons, which used land dredged from the clearing of the port area to plant in the wetlands.
A largely rice farming area, large portions of the low lying lagoon are protected and maintained to act as a home and breeding ground for dozens of species of birds.
Commonly seen mammals in the Las Marismas area include deer, lynx and wild boar, as well as vultures, flamingos, herons and ducks.
It is also the only known area in Andalucia that the elusive Spanish Imperial Eagle can be found.
During 2019, the Port Authority of Sevilla along with the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), drew up a project to streamline the management of the wetland area and to promote the marshes as a sustainable and bio-diverse destination.
Fellow winners of the 2020 awards include former director of the Doñana Biological Station, Juan Calderon Rubiales, Malaga Provincial Council and Feragua, the association of forestry and landscape.
