The Urdaibai wetland has an extension of 100 square kilometres, more than 200 if urban space is taken into account. It is the place of residence of several species of protected plants and animals, including several birds. Edorta Unamuno is a biologist working at the Urdaibai Bird Center, conservation center and observatory.

Unamuno feels “privileged” for having a job he has always wanted. But he doesn’t see everything as “bucolic,” because in order to keep the wetland as it is, they have to do a great job. Urdaibai must be defended from human expolio. One example is uncontrolled tourism: The Provincial Council of Bizkaia has announced that it intends to build a branch of the Guggenheim museum on land from a former shipyard located in the protected area of the reserve. Now we just need to set a date at the beginning of the project. "If it is built, the arrival of tourists must be regulated very well so that the ecosystem does not deteriorate," Unamuno said in a statement.

What treasure is there in Urdaibai?

There are marshes, coastal cliffs, forests of all kinds (robledales, holm oaks...) and rivers. There's also mountain. The presence of so many ecosystems in such a small area allows for an enormous amount of fauna and flora. And that diversity is very important for some birds. One morning you can see 60 or 70 species.

Who doesn't like something like this?

To the owners of the land. When the biosphere reserve was declared in 1984, many people thought it was negative for the region, because it set limits on human action. For example, construction, hunting or fishing in very sensitive areas. People didn't value the significance of the wetland. I believe that everything was done too quickly and the administrations did not help to explain the collective benefits of living alongside a reserve of this kind.

What threats does the wetland pose?

Urdaibai is an open space. People can go out and go in full freedom, but that requires care for the environment. And it doesn't work well. There is a plan for use and management of the reserve which prohibits access to certain parts of the marsh in order to prevent discomfort to growing birds or fauna. But it is not always complied with, because in some protected areas there is a lack of surveillance. And the Administration is aware of this. This infrastructure, which is still a tourist one, should be better managed and regulated.

The Bizkaia deputy, Unai Rementeria, wants to build a branch in the centre of Urdaibai which will become a miniature of the Guggenheim museum. It seems that the project is going to go ahead. What do you think?

It depends on how it's going to be done. It can affect biodiversity from 100 to zero. In Gernika, a branch of the Guggenheim museum, inside the reserve, in the center of the city, would have a very low impact here. However, if it is built in the protection zone of the reserve, it will be dangerous. In this case, they must regulate very well the arrival of tourists so as not to damage the ecosystem. In any case, we are talking about the Guggenheim. Because of the thousands of people it attracts, it's hard to manage. We are not against the project, but we ask the administrations to realise the peculiarities of this sensitive area. It is sometimes difficult to merge nature and tourism.