The Sites of Community Importance (SIC) and the Special Areas of Conservation (ZSC) are, together with the Special Protection Areas (SPA), the main nodes of the Natura 2000 network, an ecological network, born with the directive 43/1992/ EEC, which aims to contribute to the protection of biological diversity in European countries. This directive - known as the "Habitats Directive" - identifies habitats and species that member states are required to protect. A European nature conservation network is indispensable because nature does not stop at administrative borders and therefore an international approach must be used to preserve it.
In Italy SIC, ZSC and ZPS cover about 19% of the national land territory and 4% of the marine one. In Liguria, the Natura 2000 network includes 126 SIC - of which 27 are marine - and 7 ZPS referable to three biogeographical regions (Alpine, Continental and Mediterranean), for a total of 165,000 hectares. These sites are connected to each other by ecological corridors, defined by a regional resolution.
The approval of the conservation measures, which took place at different times according to the biogeographical regions, led to the designation of 14 ZSC of the Alpine region (decree of the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea of 24 June 2015, published in the Official Gazette No. 165 of July 28, 2015), 11 ZSC of the Continental Region and 27 ZSC of the Mediterranean Region (decree of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Land and Sea of October 13, 2016, published in Official Gazette No. 253 of October 28 2016).
The Regional Law 28/2009 establishes that the University of Genoa, as managing body of the Hanbury Botanical Gardens regional protected area, is also the managing body of the terrestrial SIC IT1316118 Capo Mortola and of the marine ZSC IT1316175 Fondali Capo Mortola - San Gaetano.
The cartography and types of natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora relating to the ZSC can be found on the website of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and Sea www.minambiente.it, in the specific section relating to the ZSC designated.
IT1316118 Capo Mortola
The site is represented by a strip of coast in which the natural vegetation has a "relict" character within a considerably anthropized territory, but which preserves a famous botanical garden of international importance. However, there are habitats and rare species of considerable biogeographical interest, endemics and species protected in accordance with international directives/conventions. Finally, ancient reports of the ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus), a very rare species in Italy with its eastern limit in Liguria, should be highlighted. The site hosts arenaceous, calcareous, marly, clayey lithotypes; of notable importance for its richness is a fossil deposit in the beach area, in which nummulites of even centimeters in size dominate, and other fossils of the Eocene age.
IT1316175 Fondali Capo Mortola - San Gaetano
The site is characterized by a Posidonia meadow, a habitat of priority interest, mainly settled on "matte" and bordering in some points with Cymodocea formations; the Posidonia meadow is in a good state of conservation, with the lower limit at -25/-30 m. The level of biodiversity is elevated by the presence of numerous rocky shoals, with typical coralligenous populations, and sandy ones. There is also an underwater source of fresh water. The part in front of Capo Mortola is in a good state of conservation. On the site there are Pinna nobilis, a vulnerable and threatened species in Liguria, and several species of seahorses.
Rules relating to SIC. The Liguria Region has recently approved the Conservation Measures (MDC) which apply to SIC with regulations, interventions to be encouraged or implemented by the managing bodies, monitoring and educational-informative activities. The MDC are the indispensable step for the transformation of SIC and ZPS into Special Areas of Conservation (ZSC), an act for which Italy is behind with respect to the Community obligations:
MDC del sito terrestre di Capo Mortola
MDC dei SIC marini
Subjects who intend to implement plans, projects or interventions that may have significant effects on Natura 2000 sites (even when they fall outside them) must submit the plan/project/intervention to an Impact Assessment. For the IT1316118 Capo Mortola site, the responsibility for the procedure lies with the managing body (University of Genoa, Center of Western Liguria Hanbury Botanical Gardens), for the marine site the responsibility lies to the Liguria Region. The modalities of the procedure are explained in the DGR 30/2013. For further information on the regulatory aspects, please refer to the relevant page of the regional website.
SIC - Sito di importanza Comunitaria
SIC - Capo Mortola
SIC - Sito di importanza Comunitaria
MANAGEMENT PLANS OF THE SIC of Capo Mortola and Fondali Capo Mortola and San Gaetano
The Management Plans of the SCI IT1316118 - Capo Mortola and IT1316175 - Fondali Capo Mortola and San Gaetano are presented here, they have been adopted by the managing body of the Center of Western Liguria Hanbury Botanical Gardens in the meeting of the Council of the Center on 12 September 2016.
Previously the Plans had been submitted to the examination of the Municipality of Ventimiglia and the Coordination Committee of the Hanbury Botanical Gardens Regional Protected Area.
The documents are available to the public and the managing body is available to receive any public annotation until 14 October 2016. Each annotation must be sent to the address gbhsegreteria@unige.it.
After that date, the documents, accompanied by a VAS procedure, will be submitted for evaluation by the Liguria Region.
MANAGEMENT PLAN of SIC IT1316118 - Capo Mortola:
MANAGEMENT PLAN of SIC IT1316175 - Capo Mortola and San Gaetano seabed:
CARTOGRAPHY:
- Carta di inquadramento territoriale-ambientale
- Carta del mosaico paesistico - ambientale
- Carta geologica
- Carta della vegetazione reale
- Carta degli habitat
- Carta delle osservazioni di specie
- Uso del suolo
- Mosaico degli strumenti urbanistici
- Mappatura delle azioni di Piano
- Carta della suscettività alle pressioni
- Carta della suscettività alle minacce
- Carta della qualità
