Views: 64

The Balearic Government has spoken out regarding the new measure promoted by the Ministry of Transport that would allow private individuals to rent boats. President Prohens has announced the publication of a Decree this very week, and GOB shares the reasons given: “…this measure compromises the environmental sustainability and maritime safety of our waters.”

Since the Government is using this argument, which is entirely logical and applicable to the current situation, we ask Mrs. Prohens to pay attention to the different existing projects in Menorca that foresee continuing to increase the number of boats along the island’s coastline.

These are the details:

• In the port of Maó, there are projects, some already awarded but not yet executed, that foresee at least 272 new moorings (mainly in Colàrsega, s’Altra banda, and Cala Figuera).

• Ports of the Balearic Islands is promoting two dry marinas: one in Cala Molí and another in Cala en Busquets. The latter is already in process, with an increase of 120 new places.

• In Fornells, 77 new moorings are being added, which were conditioned on the installation of 77 ecological buoys (inside the bay and in the outer coves), a condition that has not been fulfilled.

• In Addaia, the intention to expand the marina to double its current surface area remains alive.

With just these actions, the island’s pressure would increase by nearly 600 additional boats, without even counting the dry marina project in Cala Molí.

GOB has been submitting objections, but public institutions do not listen to these arguments. The new criterion defended by the President of the Balearic Government could change this dynamic. There is sufficient data and technical studies to support a halt to this constant growth, which is negatively overcrowding the Menorcan coast.

We recall that the official data collected in the nautical carrying capacity study commissioned by Ports IB and carried out by SOCIB in 2020 established a maximum limit of 2,115 boats anchored in the coves and beaches of Menorca. This figure contrasts with the reality already observed in 2010, when an aerial inventory promoted by the Coastal Island Plan, carried out by the Island Council, identified 2,344 boats anchored with anchors. This figure shows that 15 years ago Menorca had already exceeded its nautical carrying capacity by more than 110%.

Another important figure we can extract from the study promoted by the Coastal Island Plan is that in 2010 there was a capacity to moor 4,000 boats in the ports and buoy fields of Menorca. Last year, GOB calculated the current nautical supply, requesting data from the various administrations managing the coastline and performing visual counts. The resulting figure already reached 5,453 moorings, not counting the places in dry marinas or boats that come from outside the island.

Therefore, it is clear that if Menorca in 2010, with a mooring and buoy polygon capacity of 4,000 boats, was already exceeding its nautical carrying capacity by 11%, in 2025, with room for 5,453 boats, the acceptable parameters are far surpassed.

For these reasons, the President of the Government of the Balearic Islands is publicly asked to intervene to prevent the announced increases in nautical pressure, so that environmental sustainability and maritime safety are not seriously compromised.