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The redevelopment of Fornells Port, which includes an increase in the number of moorings, is subject to environmental conditions that remain unresolved. The installation of ecological buoys in nearby coves, as well as the delimitation and management of the anchoring zone, has no foreseeable execution in the short term. In response, GOB has submitted an appeal to the Posidonia Committee and Ports IB.

Recently, the harbor of Fornells has put out a tender for the management of the bay’s pontoons. As is well known, all of them will be subject to market prices, meaning they will not be accessible to local residents. However, some of the conditions outlined in the fine print of the tender documents will not be met in the short term, preventing certain facilities from becoming operational for the companies awarded the contracts.

Environmental conditions included clauses allowing Ports IB to delegate to the Posidonia Committee the installation of 55 buoys outside Fornells bay (budgeted at €54,354), the delimitation and management of the permitted anchoring zone in the central part of the bay (€56,450), and a €30,000 allocation for daily monitoring of anchoring during the summer across the Marine Area of Northern Menorca and Punta Redona-Arenal d’en Castell.

The first two allocations were already transferred to the Posidonia Fund in 2023. However, last week, the Posidonia Committee met and expressed doubts about executing the planned installations. There is even consideration of using the funds for other purposes.

As a result, due to potential authorization issues or technical disagreements on specific aspects, the body responsible for carrying out the environmental conditions attached to the harbor redevelopment may now leave them unfulfilled.

In response to this situation, GOB has formally addressed both the Posidonia Committee and Ports IB to emphasize that these environmental conditions are mandatory, that the allocated funds are earmarked and cannot be redirected to other initiatives, and that if the Posidonia Committee decides not to proceed with the execution, the funds must be returned to Ports IB, which will then need to find alternative ways to fulfill its commitments.

Meanwhile, companies bidding for the harbor’s management should be aware that, until these requirements are met, some of the planned facilities will not be operational.