EDITORIAL

By Jason Moore JUST who is dumping tons of rubbish into the sea? I must say that over the last three weeks I have been shocked by the large amounts of rubbish to be found floating in the sea, ranging from plastic bags to bottles. This is not just an isolated incident everywhere you go you find rubbish. In the Bay of Palma, just off the Dique del Oeste, I was shocked to see a major rubbish slick consisting of hundreds of bags and bottles. At a small beach in Calvia on Sunday there were plastic bags floating everywhere and in the Pollensa and Alcudia areas it is the same story again. Apart from polluting the sea and being an eyesore, a plastic bag can be a real danger to any boat owner. What can be done? Well, certainly a major clean-up operation is needed. The local authorities will say that they are issuing fines for anyone caught dumping rubbish in the sea but these laws need to be enforced as otherwise there is no deterrent. If the rubbish problem continues unchecked Majorca will soon be facing a major crisis and it could even affect the island's bid for sailing's great prize, the America's Cup. It's got to a point these days that every major beach should have a maritime “rubbish collection system.” There is nothing worse than going to the beach and finding that it is dirty and uncared for. The Council of Majorca has a small fleet of boats, whose only task is to collect rubbish from the sea, but obviously this is not enough. A dedicated drive is needed because otherwise the rubbish situation around our coast will get out of control and the Balearics will pay a heavy price.