THE NATURE RESERVE TRAPANI AND PACECO SALTMARSHES"

The nature reserve “ Saline di Trapani e Paceco” is a regional nature reserve in Sicily. It was established in 1995 and  covers nearly 1000 hectares in the municipalities of the province of Trapani. The reserve, in which you can exercise the ancient salt mining activities, is an important wetland that offers shelter to many species of migratory birds. It is run by WWF Italy. Of Phoenician origin, the Arab geographer al-Idrisi documents the presence of the salt mines already in the period of Norman rule in Sicily. Under the reign of Frederick of Swabia, the state monopoly on salt production was established. It continued even during the Angevin rule. Later on, the Aragonese sanctioned the return of private property, but it was under the Spanish crown that the salt production reached its peak, transforming the port of Trapani in the most important European trade centre of the precious element. The salt pans of Trapani  came to the “Stagnone”, the largest lagoon in Italy, a few miles north of Marsala.  Since 1861 ,with the unification of Italy, these salt pans were not nationalized, and were the only ones to pass the salt monopoly by the state, by exporting in several countries. After World War II, with the competition of Cagliari industrialized saline, the decay of the Trapani salt pans began. It was  accentuated by the outbreak of the Second World war and from foreign competition with rock salt. Many of the salt mines were gradually decommissioned or abandoned. Today you can only see some of the characteristic  windmills once used for a dual function: either for the grinding of the salt or  for the pumping of salt water from one tank to another. But after the establishment of the Reserve and its reliance on management to WWF Italy, there has been a new boost production and processing of salt by the SOSALT, which is the main producer, with the approval of restoration and recovery of abandoned facilities. Trapani sea salt is now added to the list of traditional Sicilian food products recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, which in April 2011 also recognized the IGP with the name "Sea Salt of Trapani". In 2011, salt pans of Trapani were recognized as Ramsar wetland, by the Ministry of the Environment. Territory The reserve covers  almost a thousand hectares, divided into zone A and zone B (Reserve and  Pre-Reserve), between the towns of Trapani and Paceco.  Much of the reserve consists of privately owned salt pans, where it is still practiced salt extraction using traditional techniques in use for centuries. Beyond this ethno-anthropological value, the site is characterized by being one of the most important coastal wetlands in western Sicily, staging environment for many species of migratory birds. Flora Salt mines are home to numerous herbaceous or shrubby species that have adapted to the extreme environmental conditions this area presents.  There are several species of Chenopodiaceae of Salicornia genres, Arthrocnemum, Halopeplis, Halocnemum, Suaeda, Salsola, Atriplex and Beta; special mention should be made of  Salicornia strobilacea (Halocnemum strobilaceum), suffruticosa species described in a few other stations in Sicily and Sardinia, and Salicornia amplessicaule (Halopeplis amplexicaulis). Among the other significant species are to be reported: the maritime field marigold (Calendula maritima), a rare endemic species whose range is restricted to the coastal area between the Lagoon of Marsala and Mount Hood; marine enula (golden samphire); the so-called mushroom of Malta (Cynomorium coccineum), a parasitic plant present in Italy, not only in this area, in narrow coastal areas of Sardinia and Basilicata. Others worthy of mention are the endemic species of sea lavenders: Myriolepis ferulacea, Balearic Euphorbia, Euphorbia pithyusa (subsp. Cupanii); various species of Limonium (L. densiflorum, L. lojaconoi,), the cressa (Cressa cretica ), the panocchina of saline (Aeluropus lagopoides), from the Chiozzi spiral grass (Ruppia cirrhosa) and bushy limoniastro (Limoniastrum monopetalum). Fauna    The area of the reserve is of particular ornithological interest as it is a rest stop on the migration route to Africa. Considering both nesting species and wintering ones, 208 different species of birds have been counted like the avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), chosen as the symbol of the Reserve, the flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), white heron (Ardea alba), little egret (Egretta garzetta), the bittern (Botaurus stellaris), the rosy gull (Chroicocephalus genei), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), the marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), the knight of Italy (Himantopus himantopus), the little tern (Sternula albifrons), the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), the lark (toed lark) and various species of anatidi. The insect fauna includes rare insect species such as Cephalota circumdata imperialis, Cephalota litorea goudoti, Pterolepis elymica, Teia dubia arcerii. Finally, the small crustacean Artemia salina has been and is still the subject of great interest.