Galicia proposes new UNESCO Biosphere Reserve candidacy

The Xunta de Galicia has submitted a technical proposal to establish the region's eighth UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The candidacy spans 145,778 hectares between Cape Fisterra and Silleiro, encompassing the Rías de Arousa and Pontevedra.

The proposal includes approximately thirty municipalities, with O Grove and A Illa de Arousa notably integrating their entire municipal surfaces, including ports and urban centers, into the designation. Other highlighted areas include Porto do Son and Ribeira.

According to the Consellería de Medio Ambiente, the designation is not a restrictive protection measure similar to a National Park. It will not alter existing legal regimes or introduce new urbanistic or environmental regulations. Instead, the initiative is presented as a way to promote economic and social development within the zone, which includes various categories such as core protected areas and buffer zones.