More than 100 people staged a protest at Palma docks last night in support of cruise ships as the Balearic government comes under pressure to introduce a curb.

The protest was made up of representatives of various business organisations and waved placards with slogans such as "A Tourist, A Friend" and "Cruise ships equal jobs."

The protest came after 10,000 people signed a petition calling for the government to ban the mega cruise ships.

However, the Palma Port Authority said this week that it would be impossible to limit visits by cruise ships before 2022 because cruise line companies had already planned their port schedules.