Government plan to tackle jellyfish problem

PALMA
THE plan of action to combat jellyfish which has been designed by the Spanish Government will create a mechanism to prevent them invading the Mediterranean coast.

This was confirmed by Josep Maria Gili, the Professor of Research at the Institute of Sea Science, which is part of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), and scientific coordinator for the Government's plan to combat jellyfish and to evaluate the “spread” of this problem from a scientific point of view.

He also said that this initiative “requires a large financial outlay” for its development, and added that if banks of jellyfish are seen near the coast there should be a “very powerful boat” available to catch them.

Gili explained that this project “is trying to minimise as much as possible” the effects of the large population of jellyfish around the Spanish coast and avoid problems for bathers on the coasts.

He said that because of this the measure could be described as a “public health measure”.
Boats will be sent out to capture the jellyfish with specialised people to do the scientific work, as well as people to remove the jellyfish from the water. This year Spain will join the other European Union countries which have a specific plan to combat these creatures which, in Gili's opinion, is “a very important change”.

This research project will start in Winter and will make an examination of the “swarms of jellyfish”. “We need to know how many there are, how the population grows and to observe their recovery potential”, he explained.
In the meantime, bathers in the Balearics are warned to take precautions during the summer.