The project for floating piers in Puerto Pollensa.

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Pollensa town hall plans to create systems of ecological buoys in unspoiled coves such as Cala Murta and two floating piers in the Albercutx area of Puerto Pollensa for the mooring of yachts with a maximum length of four metres. In this way, the town hall hopes to put an end to illegal anchoring. As an example, in summer 2019 the town hall counted 129 boats that were anchored in the area reserved for bathing off the Albercutx beach.

However, the recently formed Association for the Defence of Puerto Pollensa (ASDEPP) is suspicious of there being floating piers. The port area, it says, has already been degraded as a consequence of the condition of the seawater, which stems from there being an inadequate drainage and sewage system. Installing these pontoons would further detract from the beauty of the area, "which has made the port a leader in the history of tourism on the island".

The floating piers project has been on the table since 2013 and was presented to the Costas Authority this summer. It was put on hold again after the regional environment ministry said that an environmental assessment was necessary.

A week ago, Mayor Tomeu Cifre met the head of the Costas in the Balearics, Almudena Domínguez, in order to discuss the plan for the floating piers and the buoys. Cifre explains that the idea would be to put these out to tender and let a company manage them. "But first we want to see if the Costas will consider this before dedicating more effort to the project."

The piers would be located next to the Passeig Colom and be connected to two breakwaters - one where the Passeig Colom starts and the other next to the military base. Respectively, they would have capacity for 93 and 91 boats. The two piers would occupy a combined area of 1,920 square metres.