The organisations SOS Costa Brava, Ecologistas en Acción, SOS Mar Menor and GOB recently met in Madrid with the Director General of the Merchant Navy, Gustavo Santana, to express our shared concern about the growing impacts of nautical overcrowding along the entire Spanish coastline.

During the meeting, it was made clear that the main cause of this situation is the excessive number of recreational boats operating without control or oversight. In recent years, in the most saturated areas, this reality has led to an increase in unsafe conditions along the coastal strip, with concerning episodes such as collisions between boats, accidents involving swimmers, risks during sports activities, and severe impacts on marine ecosystems.