Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

shoreline is composed by steep cliffs with some natural terraces and associated slope
deposits, beaches, rocky islets, submerged or partially submerged caves and some
cascades that fall from small hanging valleys over sea cliffs.
In the wider valleys, more weathered by the streams and where there is a greater
deposit of material resulting from inland slopes erosion, the coastline is smooth finishing
in pebble beaches. Coastal riparian areas associated with small streams, or cascades, are
the areas where the vegetation is more lush and diverse, thus being areas of high
biological interest.
12.2.3. Main human impacts
The activities of exploitation of coastal resources, including fisheries, may be
harmful to the entire marine ecosystem if excessive pressure is exerted on the stocks of
some commercially exploited species. The techniques used in the capture of certain
species, particularly gill nets, trawls and seines, fault by their low selectivity and massive
capture potential. Despite the gill nets and trawl capture techniques are not current in
Madeira, the seine is commonly used in the capture of mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and
Blue jack mackerel (Trachurus picturatus). This type of fishing causes the drastic
reduction of available food to whales and pelagic fish that feed on these species and
consequently for many seabirds, which depend on fish balls encircled by cetaceans and
pelagic fishes, to prey on mackerel species.
Regarding the line commercial fishing techniques, the “palangres” lines used to fish
for black scabbard fish (Aphanopus carbo) and longline used to fish for "Good fish " as
grouper (Serranus Scriba and Serranus atricauda) Spanish bream (Pagellus bogaraveo),
Red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), Large-scale scorpion (Scorpaena scrofa) and Larger
forkbeared (Phycis phycis) are techniques that constitute the biggest threats, especially
to the various species of sea turtles, which are the main victims of incidental capture in
these fishing devices, and that inevitably causes them death by drowning.
The large amount of garbage that is adrift in the coastal waters of Madeira, is a
major threat to marine species, especially for those that feed on cnidarians and
cephalopods such as sperm whales, pygmy sperm whales, short-finned pilot whales and
Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB 99