Tag Archives: News

Home deliveries of farm products of the Land Stewardship Scheme

Because of the current situation with people confined to their houses and with limited permission to go out, house deliveries are a good resource. For this reason, the farms that are part of GOB’s Land Stewardship Scheme, have organized a delivery service. This allows us to eat fresh and healthy food that is eco-friendly and produced in Menorca. Continue reading Home deliveries of farm products of the Land Stewardship Scheme

Increased building control

Building on rural land without licence is not always worthwhile. Some resolutions of the island Consortium on urban discipline translate into demolitions and large fines. The Consortium is an organ created in Menorca by agreement of all the town councils and the Consell Insular to avoid uncontrolled building on rural land. Its creation was decided after the repeated inability, both technically and politically, by the town councils to tackle this problem, which after a while resulted in the hundreds of illegal buildings becoming very difficult to manage. Continue reading Increased building control

The marine environment becomes part of the Reserve of the Biosphere

An area of some 20 kilometres of sea around Menorca has become part of the Reserve of the Biosphere, which, until now, included only land. UNESCO approved the addition on 5 June in Paris. This declaration is something which will be very helpful for enabling protection in the future. GOB celebrates the designation and the encouragement it gives to working for the rational conservation of the marine environment. Continue reading The marine environment becomes part of the Reserve of the Biosphere

The lesson of Son Parc

Excavation works have begun in Son Parc urbanisation, Es Mercadal. This project is a clear reminder of the long, intense battles Menorca has had to wage to combat the dangerous threats to its territorial integrity, inherent in the development plans of the 1970s. It also highlights the complicated impacts on any areas which are earmarked for development. It is only 3 years since the last attempt to promote this type of development. Continue reading The lesson of Son Parc

General Meeting approved the budget and the new board of directors

The General Meeting of the Island Members of GOB approved on 20 December 2018 the report of activities for 2018, the budget for 2019 and the composition of the new board of directors. 2018 has been another year of intense activity in which we started new lines of working such as how to confront the problems of plastic and refuse ending up in the sea. Continue reading General Meeting approved the budget and the new board of directors

26,000 people sent allegations made against the projected seismic prospecting in the Balearic Sea

26,000 people sent allegations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation made against MedSalt for their latest project for seismic prospecting in the sea around the islands.

The combined efforts of the Aliança Mar Blava succeeded in achieving a huge public response so that, in just a month, a campaign was formed and signatures, mainly from the Balearic Islands, were collected.

Many associations, collectives, commercial and private individuals became heavily involved. Very noticeable were the tables set up in the streets for the platform of Menorca Diu No (Menorca Says No). It shows what can be achieved when people combine their efforts.

Thanks to appeals made by the legally registered associations pointing out various formal deficiencies in the application procedure for the project there is, consequently, a new opportunity for explaining the issues to the public and allow an increase in the number of people making the allegations against the project during the next few weeks.

We are promoting different initiatives to gain a moratorium on any new projects for seismic prospecting with guns using compressed air as well as exploring for hydrocarbons. In addition, the Central government in the Congress of Deputies is being pressed to stop vetoing the law for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea that stops projects of this style. This was approved unanimously in the Balearic Parliament.

Many thanks to everyone who has helped.