The Bay of Pollensa Development PlanĀ
Last week, the Town Hall of Pollensa held a meeting at the Yacht Club in Puerto Pollensa to discuss a new Comprehensive Development Plan for the Bay of Pollensa. The hope is that the plan is established before being presented to the Ministry and the plans are put in motion as part of the General Plan of Ports.
Looking at the list of attendants, it is clear how important the issue is with both local and regional authorities. At the helm was Pollensaās Mayor, Marti March and his governing councillors who are working in collaboration with The Ministry of the Sea and the Water Cycle of the Balearic Governmentāat the meeting was Councillor Juan Manuel Lafuente.
Other authorities present were the Costas, Ports IB and Ports & Maritime Transport.
On a more local level, representatives from nautical and hotel sectors as well as various local associations attended. This included the Fishermenās Association (la Confraria de Pescadors), Arrels MarinesĀ (a non-profit organisation that works for the marine regeneration of the Balearic Sea), Hotel Association of Pollensa, the Neighbourhood Association of Puerto Pollensa and representatives of the Yacht Club.Ā
Firstly, the plan will see a reorganisation of nautical activities, namely the anchorages and defined navigation and bathing areas, which will reduce pressure on Marine ecosystems and improve safety of bathers. The installation of an ecological buoy field was discussed as was the creation of a mooring association to improve the organisation of moorings and encourage more participatory management.
Secondly, the plan will look at how to improve the sewage system and eliminate waste. Improvements have been made to the sanitation network that mean reduced incidents of dumping into the sea and work is continuing to have a complete diagnosis of the state of the sewer network. It is clear that improvement of the water cycle must be a comprehensive approach, not piecemeal action.
In relation to the environmental problems of the area, the need to carry out a deep clean of the seabed, currently affected by remains of old anchorages and abandoned vessels, was also addressed. Although this task is the responsibility of the State, the authorities stressed the importance of acting to prevent further damage to the ecosystem.
Another critical point addressed during the meeting was the situation of the sewage system in some areas of PollenƧa and the need to implement measures to improve the efficiency of water management was highlighted.
It seems like positive action and both administrations (the council of Pollensa and the Balearic Government) aim to work bilaterally to put into action this Comprehensive Development Plan, so there is hope that the situation doesn’t get worse and the results will soon become evident.
