Riserva naturale orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco

Overview of the salt pans from Erice .

The nature reserve Salines of Trapani and Paceco ( Italian Riserva naturale orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco, formerly Riserva naturale integral Saline di Trapani e Paceco) is an outdoor nature reserve of the Trapani municipal consortium between the towns of Trapani and Paceco on the west coast of Sicily . It was founded in 1995 and entrusted to WWF Italy under the Ramsar Convention . It covers an area of ​​987 ha and consists of two zones. In addition to a remarkable Mediterranean flora and fauna, there is a saltwork museum in an old salt mill.

Saltworks museum

Flora and fauna

This nature reserve is home to many endemic plant species. The halophyte flora , adapted to the salt marshes and the high salt concentrations, is represented by some of the rarest plants in Sicily, such as the sea-beach marigold ( Calendula maritima ), shrub sea lavender ( Limoniastrum monopetalum ), Maltese sponge ( Cynomorium coccineum ) or Limonium densiflorum .

Rare animal species include osprey , peregrine falcon , painted disc beak ( Discoglossus pictus ) and the insect taxa Bucherillo littoralis , Stenoniscus carinatus , Pterolepis elymica , Cicindela circumdata imperialis , Cicindela littorea goudati , Teia dubia and Aphanius fasciatus .

The very rare sea ​​beach marigold is endemic to the reserve

The salt pans are the last resting place for many European migratory birds before they start their onward flight to Africa via the Strait of Sicily . A total of 170 species of birds have been counted here.

Map of the 800 salt pans between Trapani and Paceco

Danger

The salt pans of Trapani and Paceco are a cultural landscape that is characterized by large salt fields and salt marshes . Sea salt production was stopped as early as the 1950s and the salt marshes became a rubbish dump in many places. Another threat is the expansion of the cities and the expansion of the port of Marsala.

See also

• Trapani sea salt

Web links

Commons : Riserva naturale Saline di Trapani  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Nature reserve: Trapani and Paceco salt flats ( Memento of June 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ): a doc file will be downloaded.
• Official website (English and Italian)
• Portal of Italian Natural Parks and Reserves (Italian)
• La pista ciclabile come elemento di riqualificazione della Riserva Naturale Orientata delle Saline di Trapani e Paceco (Italian with maps and photos) (PDF file; 1.1 MB)

Coordinates: 37 ° 59 ′ 13 ″  N , 12 ° 30 ′ 39 ″  E