The encañizadas of mar menor (Murcia, se Spain): A case of recovery from a sustainable fishing model to maintain marine biodiversity and landscape

Abstract

This paper reviews the historical evolution, physical structure, physiographic and hydrographic conditions where the traditional fishing activity called encañizadas is developed. This activity has been carried out since the 15th century within the five channels that connect the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean Sea. The disturbance generated by tourism in this site derived in the decreasing of this activity reaching its end in 1986 when the last encañizada stopped working. A decade later, that same encañizada is put back into exploitation. Located in an area characterized by a marked tidal dynamics rare in the Mediterranean Sea, it shapes an eco-cultural landscape in which it is impossible to exclude the human imprint. Maintaining a sustainable development model with a fair balance between exploitation and conservation of natural resources has meant reinforcing the cooperation between the owner of the fishing exploitation and the administration responsible for the land conservation management.