El Prat de LlobregatThe Llobregat delta owes a lot to someone like José García. He knows all the birds that inhabit it and, above all, those that inhabited it before El Prat airport complicated their lives. But not only for this, but also for all the years of struggle he has accumulated as vice-president of the environmentalist association Depana to protect a natural habitat hemmed in by infrastructure, regardless of having to go as far as Europe to seek protection. He is beginning to achieve it now with a first step, the renaturalization of Can Sabadell, a protected area that was affected by the last airport expansion.
What was Can Sabadell like?
— It was 50 hectares of wetlands, intimately linked to the Remolar-Filipines Natural Space. It all formed part of a whole, on either side of the Castelldefels highway, which divided it. In 2002, Aena began to act there to locate services within the framework of the first expansion of the airport. They committed to protecting one half of Can Sabadell and they destroyed the other. They call it environmental compensation, but it is not: it is a reduction of the impact they cause. Although they committed to protecting a part of it, they ended up occupying it to build the car parks that now have to be dismantled. One of them with a capacity for 800 taxis.
What is the point of reclaiming this space?
— A renaturation allows to reinforce the entire set of surrounding spaces, such as El Remolar. They will have a buffer instead of occupied areas, which allows to improve the conditions for bird populations and habitats. It will bring life and biodiversity because there will be more feeding area and less human pressure.
Have many birds been lost?
— In the Llobregat Delta area, there are species that have seen up to 80% of birds disappear. For example, there used to be around 3,000 mallards, and now there are not even five hundred.
Aena says that this space was previously built.
— Part of it was, there were about four or five hectares at most. There was a gas station and caravan parking here. This was already there, but they ate another part and, at a minimum, they have to compensate for it.
And what happens after the last expansion?
— Aena had promised to carry out many actions in the Llobregat Delta, which is part of the Natura 2000 Network. But they destroyed it. We went on collecting information and took it to the European Commission. At first, we didn't get the desired response, but we kept working diligently. I always say that you learn by winning, but even more by losing. In 2012, we filed a complaint in Brussels. The victory of Eurovegas also played a significant role here, uniting the opposition that had been demobilized for years. Finally, in 2021, the European Commission opened an infringement procedure for the insufficient protection of the Llobregat Delta, which, among other things, obliged them to restore the damaged area. The renaturalization has now begun, but they are proceeding very slowly and have the biggest part left.
How do you feel after taking so long to achieve it?
— It has been more than twenty years of struggle. One might think: "How unfortunate to have taken so long." But twisting Aena's arm gives a certain satisfaction. We know it's not easy to defeat a giant like Aena. I believe it's comparable to when battles have been won against chemical or tobacco companies. It's a process that has taken a long time; but we have won.
Can Sabadell was a pending piece of the last expansion and now there is a new one on the table. Is its renaturalization being accelerated to get Europe's approval again?
— They would have done it anyway, but if they are accelerating and trying to do it well, it is because the interest of Aena, the State and the Generalitat is to close the complaint from the European Commission and this is one of the fundamental points to be able to do so. However, something else entirely is the new expansion. This battle is still there. Brussels has told them that if they do not manage to close the complaint, there is no permit for the expansion. Furthermore, in the previous expansion, public interest was invoked to be able to affect special protection areas for birds (ZEPA) and what the Commission does not accept is that, having failed to comply with previous compensations, you invoke it again.
Do you think the community file will be closed?
— We are here so that this does not happen. The difference compared to 2002 is that, back then, Depana practically had no say. Now, we have direct contact with Brussels. We have an influence that we did not have before. Furthermore, Aena already has a history of having done things badly. Even if they resolve the complaint, they will have many problems.
Are you concerned about the shift to the right happening in Europe?
— Evidently, it can have effects, but the technicians there have a lot of freedom and are less permeable to political pressure.
Aren't they pessimistic?
— Right now, no. It is very complicated to modify European directives.
What is the opinion on extending the third runway?
— What cannot be done is to liquidate La Ricarda, daughter of the Llobregat river. It is the only natural lagoon left in the Llobregat delta. The rest have been largely altered. La Ricarda is about 300 or 400 years old and, during this time, has not been significantly modified. An almost unique plant like trencadalla (Kosteletzkya pentacarpa) is found there. There is a variety of insects and flora. And to recreate a habitat that has been destroyed, it will take at least a hundred years to achieve it. It is not viable. They can create another habitat that is of interest, but it will not be the same. Therefore, we believe that the last lagoon in the Delta should remain as it is.
Some say that Ricarda has no value.
— La Ricarda was severely affected, especially hydrologically, by the previous expansion of El Prat airport. That is why one of Aena's obligations is to restore it. You cannot destroy it and then say it has no value. Brussels has determined that it must be restored, and even the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) is carrying out projects to do so. This is one of the typical incongruities that occur between administrations. On the one hand, there are projects to restore it, and on the other, there are projects to eliminate it.
The expansion project foresees a compensation of almost 300 hectares protected.
— We totally agree with this, but to compensate for what was done wrong with the last expansion and all the habitats that were lost more than twenty years ago. It is a good proposal to close the Commission's complaint, but not to expand the airport. We will talk about that later.