Report says Balearic coast is under threat

PALMA
SEVEN “black spots” in the Balearics have been highlighted by Greenpeace in a report on the destruction of the Spanish coastline.
The seven “black spots” are: alleged planning corruption in Pollensa, Campos, Marratxi and Llucmajor; the controversial Son Bosc golf course development; severe pollution in Palma Bay; the expansion of Port Adriano in Calvia; the laying of a submarine electricity cable in Santa Ponsa; the project to sink the military frigate, Baleares, in Calvia in order to create an artifical reef for divers; and the sinking of the Don Pedro in Ibiza. “It is imperative that no further works are carried out on the coast that may cause harm to the environment,” says the report. “The expansion is one of the worst examples at a European level of disdain for environmental regulations”.

The report says that with 1'428 kms of coast, the Balearics has 12 percent of the moorings for boats in the Mediterranean, something Greenpeace claims is “unsustainable”.

Greenpeace says that recovering public areas needs to be the priority on the Balearic coast. It adds that all illegal buildings should be demolished.
One of the main indictments the environmental organisation makes in its reports relates to pollution in Balearic waters. The report says that though there is “little industry, sewage and waste are affecting the state of coastal waters. Water treatment and desalination plants and commercial and recreational moorings are the main factors responsible for this terrible situation.” Greenpeace says it is “vital” that the Balearic authorities remedy this sitatuation “urgently”. It says that the authorities should formulate an action plan against marine pollution caused by hydrocarbon waste and maritime accidents.

Greenpeace lends its support in the report to the proposal to create a marine reserve to the south of the Balearics to prtect the breeding grounds of four of the most important types of tuna in the Mediterranean, which it says is vital for the survival of the species.