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STAFF REPORTER

PALMA
MEMBERS of Soller Yacht Club have applied to the central government delegate to the Balearics, Ramon Socias, for a marine reserve to be created in the area.

With the Tramuntana having been declared a natural park, the yacht club members maintain that the marine reserve could be created as an extension of the natural park.

The yacht club's idea is for the S'illeta area to be set aside for the marine reserve and, according to sources at the yacht club, Ramon Socias was receptive to the idea and is prepared to discuss the matter further.

The yacht club believes that the marine reserve will be extremely beneficial for the Soller community as a whole.
The two primary aims would be to use the marine reserve to expand and promote nautical and environmental tourism in the area.
There are also plans to develop a flourishing diving tourism market.
The area's rich marine fauna, flora and sea life could be turned into an important attraction to international divers.
Diving is considered a tourism sector of the future not only because of its growing popularity world wide but also its environmentally friendly characteristics.

With thousands of people, for example, heading to Egypt and the Red Sea diving resorts every year, Soller is confident that it too can make its mark on the global diving resort map while also serving to boost Majorca's over all attraction as a diving destination.

A number of other areas of the island are also working on expanding their diving tourism market.
Calvia, for example, wanted to sink a decommissioned Spanish navy frigate just off the coast to act as an artificial reef and also a diving feature, but central government has blocked the plan - despite support from the Majorcan diving community.