María Rivas visits the marshes of Mera in Ortigueira where the Government will carry out the drafting of the rehabilitation project for the use and enjoyment of citizenship

The deputy delegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas has today visited Ortigueira to visit the marshes of Mera where the Government, through the Ministry of Ecological Transition, will carry out the drafting of the rehabilitation project for an amount of 110,901 euros
The deputy delegate of the Government, who has been accompanied by Mayor Juan Penabad and the head of the Coastal Demarcation of Galicia, Rafael Eimil, has made a tour of the marshes and has highlighted the importance “that such a special and lively space as this has been recovered by the State for the use and enjoyment of all citizenship, in total more than half a million square meters, the equivalent of 50 football fields”.
María Rivas explained that the drafting of the rehabilitation project “will study the necessary measures to restore the marshes to their natural state, respecting the new habitats that may have appeared in recent years”.
The subdelegate of the Government recalled “the serious environmental deterioration that during the 1980s caused the impact of human activity in these marshes, under concessions and authorizations that are no longer in force.” The marshes of Mera have more than half a million square meters that were once used for an aquaculture plant
In this regard, the subdelegate stressed the commitment and effort of the Government that for years has fought “to recover this space to carry out its regeneration and that all citizens can enjoy them from the most absolute respect for this habitat.”
On these marshes, dykes, knives and floodgates were built to modulate the filling and emptying of water, which alter the natural regimes and will be removed once the restoration work begins. In addition, buildings, electricity lines and non-native species were erected, altering the vegetation that characterized these habitats, which has caused a serious degradation in the marshes, estuaries and the entire natural ecosystem.
The marshes of Mera are 10 kilometers long and a maximum width of 3 kilometers and, as reported by the Ministry of the Environment, their calado is so small that it empties almost completely during the low tide, leaving exposed a very wide intertidal plain in which the limos and sludge predominate in its high and medium sections and the sandy bottoms in its final stretch.
María Rivas has congratulated all the citizens of Ortigueira for continuing to add assets to the already valuable landscape and environmental cultural heritage. “Cabo Ortegal is a reference not only for the Galician and Galician but for thousands of people who year after year visit this coast attracted by its impressive natural beauty,” he said.
This estuary is a very important place of passage and wintering of aquatic birds and for this reason it is registered in the Ramsar Convention, in the inventory of wetlands of Galicia and in the General Register of natural spaces of Galicia , being catalogued dome ZEPA (Special Protection Area for Birds) and ZEC (Special Conservation Area)

The subdelegate stressed the impact that the integration of Ortigueira, together with the other municipalities integrated in the AXCO, in the network of world geoparks will have in the area, “which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the great tourist potential of this region.” A potential that as recalled by the Government of Pedro Sánchez is very much in mind “as evidenced by the fact of the support received through the Tourist Sustainability Plan of Destination Geoparque de Cabo Ortegal, with funds of 1.5 billion euros”.
During her visit to the municipality, María Rivas stressed that thanks to the Government’s Recovery Plan, 675 areas and 2,546 city dwellings will have a fast internet connection within the UN-Broadband plan before the end of 2024, “which will undoubtedly be another factor that will help boost Ortigueira in the future.”