Today the government commission of the Consell de Formentera agreed to table moorage rules and the legal scheme for mooring fixtures at Estany des Peix when local decision-makers convene in plenary tomorrow. According to Antoni Tur, Councillor of Environment, the rules prioritise "watercraft used for traditional purposes, small boats, craft with reduced engine power and other factors like years of established anchorage". Other provisions include discounts for traditional boats, retirees and large families.

Next week the Consell will hold a public information session next to explain the rules and field related questions. Interested parties can also contact the Formentera Office of Environment by calling 971.32.12.10 or emailing mediambient@conselldeformentera.cat.

Assignment criteria

Priority for mooring spaces will be given to vessels moored at Estany des Peix prior to the 5 July 2002 entry in force of the Natural Resource Planning Strategy (Pla d'Ordenacio de Recursos Naturals). Vessels must also meet certain terms, such as not exceed 10 metres in length, and their intended and actual use must not violate rules at Ses Salines Nature Reserve. Vessels must either be used for not-for-profit sport or non-professional fishing or belong to a public entity.

Scoring criteria

When other baseline requirements are met, a scoring table will be used to determine ranking between traditional watercraft, vessels with reduced engine power and cleaner propulsion, small vessels and boats made with sustainable materials. Higher scores will be given to individuals who can accredit experience at Estany des Peix, and the address used to register will also be considered.

Fees and discounts

Rules lay out estimated public prices based on boat length. Monthly fees for small- and medium-size boats, which constitute the vast majority, range from €50 to €135. Assorted discounts have also been established, like for retirees (-40%); large families (-30%); traditional vessels (-15%) and zero-emission boats (-25%). Discounts may be cumulative.

Application submissions and deadline

Applications must be received within 30 working days from the day initial approval of the regulations was published in the BOIB. After the deadline, the Consell will have three months to evaluate and rank applications and publish a provisional list on the bulletin board. This list will also include proposed mooring spaces for each vessel.

In January crews began work to regulate mooring at Estany des Peix, including with 78 mooring spots on floating pontoons and 207 anchorage points on low-impact buoys. The €1,025,616 project has received €652,154 in financing through the Sustainable Tourism Tax (Impost de Turisme Sostenible, ITS). Work is scheduled to last four months.

Councillor Tur traced what he cast as a "pioneering" project to "the need to recover a protected area in Ses Salines that is environmentally threatened by uncontrolled anchoring, especially in summer". "These rules are an attempt to preserve Estany des Peix and use moorings which are in line with the rules at Ses Salines reserve and with time-honoured and traditional lake activities."

24 February 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Formentera Office of Environment (Conselleria de Medi Ambient, CMAF) reports that last year 264 abandoned vehicles were removed from public roads and private land, up 31% from the 201 vehicles removed in 2020.

Antoni Tur, Councillor of Environment, described derelict vehicles on public roads and private land as the source of "serious environmental and scenic pollution on the island", and said that islanders who wish to cancel the registration of a vehicle in their possession should visit the waste management site in Es Cap or call Ca na Negreta at 971 575 118. In the last two years measures to mitigate the problem have been intensified and improved and, as Tur pointed out, many of the found vehicles and parts are determined to have been stolen. These operations are carried out in collaboration with Formentera Local Police.

In 2021 a total of 116 citations were issued for abandoned vehicles. Per municipal ordinance, such cases carry fines that are classed either as "serious" or "very serious", ranging from €751 to €1,500 for the former and €1,500 to €3,000 for the latter.

Removal

According to the CMAF's acting protocol, an "abandoned vehicle" decal is affixed to derelict vehicles when located, a task which is carried out jointly by local law enforcement and CMAF. Whether on private or public land, owners have one month from the date their vehicle is marked abandoned to report the error and move it. All non-claimed vehicles will be considered abandoned and towed. A report is then drawn up and the vehicle is taken to the municipal processing centre located at the Es Cap rubbish tip.

At any time during the process, the owners may request to remove their vehicle from the processing centre themselves if they pay rubbish tip and towing fees. At the end of the legally mandated wait period, vehicles are processed at Ca na Negreta's vehicle decontamination site, or CAT.

16 February 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Formentera Office of Environment (Conselleria de Medi Ambient, CMAF) is pleased to report that 24 January marked the start of a push to remove pine processionary nests. Two employees have been recruited to oversee the drive, which will involve 15 days of operations.

In the first two weeks 5,454 nests were removed by hand. Operations have centred on public, urban areas and, in particular, near the cemetery and hospital in Sant Francesc.

Initially €7,000 was set aside for the initiative, but the pest is now present across a considerably larger expanse of Formentera, making budget and timeline increases likely. Of 4,000 cartridges supplied by the Balearic Ministry of Environment and Territory, over 6,500 are expected to arrive in the next few days and will be used to destroy nests located on higher up branches. The Consell de Formentera relies on the invaluable help of local hunting clubs to destroy the nests.

Antoni Tur, Councillor of the Environment, welcomed the collaboration of "land owners near forests and other residents to locate and combat this pest". Tur pointed out that the CMAF provides information and material to individuals to remove processionary nests. Last year the Consell acquired two telescopic scissors to reach nests as high as six metres from the ground, and this year has acquired two more. Islanders can request to borrow the scissors at no cost by contacting the CMAF.

'No time to let our guard down'

Councillor Tur encouraged the Balearic Healthy Forests Service "not to lower their guard" in the effort to curb the pest and to continue with helicopter dustings of the kurstaki variety of Bacillus thuringiensis. "We are far from eliminating this pest, and we think it should be a priority for the Balearic government", said Tur.

For more information contact the CMAF at Carrer Mallorca, 15 (first floor), Sant Ferran de ses Roques, by calling 971 32 12 10 (ext. 1), or by email at mediambient@conselldeformentera.cat. The Healthy Forests Service web site is available here, by telephone at 971 17 66 66 or by e-mail at sanitatforestal@ caib.es.

7 February 2022
Communications Office
Consell Insular de Formentera

A presentation was offered today about "Audioguías del Mar Formentera", a smart-phone app aimed at safeguarding Formentera's maritime and fishing history by spotlighting the importance of the environment, ecological values, Xarxa Natura 2000 cultural and historical heritage sites and the marine reserves of Formentera.

The initiative is stewarded by the Society for the Development of Coastal Communities (Soldecocos) and owes to collaboration from the Fundacion Biodiversidad and the Pleamar programme of Spain's Ministry of the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. It is co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and supported by the Llotja de Conil Organisation of Artisan Fish Producers (OPP72), Formentera Fishermen's Guild, Gen-Gob, WWF-Spain and the Consell de Formentera.

App

Available as a download by searching for "Audioguías del Mar Formentera", the app provides details about various itineraries showcasing cultural, natural and maritime-fishing heritage. The itineraries are geo-referenced on a map which boasts historical photographs and audio descriptions enriched with the voices, memory and knowledge of artisanal fishermen, women of the sea, researchers, naturalists and other local figures. "Audioguías del Mar Cádiz" is part of the same project.

Francisco Sobrado, of Soldecocos, stressed that the initiative is about "putting the spotlight on good environmental practices and the ecological, socio-cultural and economic values of Formentera's environmental and ethnographic maritime-fishing heritage by engaging the island and our visitors in its promotion and preservation".

Councillor of Rural Affairs Josep Marí shared his satisfaction at seeing the launch of "so comprehensive a showcase for traditional Formentera culture", a feature Mari said owed to contributions from the local fishing sector. The app is available in Catalan, Spanish, English and Italian, and will be promoted across tourist information channels to reach the island's visitors as well.

Plaques with a QR code linking to the download have been placed in an array of locations around the island to ensure islanders can learn about the app. Iván Pérez Marí, Chief Skipper of Formentera Fishermen's Guild, said he was "glad to see developmment of an initiative that recognises the work, tradition and heritage that fishing represents". Also on hand at the gathering were Vice President and Councillor of Tourism Alejandra Ferrer, Councillor of Environment Antoni Tur, Gen-Gob's Marià Marí and via videoconference, José Luis García Varas, Head of WWF Spain's Marine Programme.

Documentary

The overarching project seeks to develop a plan to disseminate fishing heritage and, to that end, includes "Paisatges i memòries del litoral" (Landscapes and memories of the coast), a documentary video following local fishermen who embody maritime lifestyles, maritime-coastal heritage and protected marine areas with a keen eye on the sites of Xarxa Natura 2000.

A free public screening of the documentary is scheduled today at 7.30pm in the assembly hall (sala d'actes) of the Consell. No reservations are required. All current public health protocol will be enforced. As part of the initiative, a documentary about Cádiz has been made as well.

Members of the local fishing industry were invited to a training session on the app to ensure it is the protagonists themselves, the fishermen, who drive the app's promotion.

See below for links to the audio-guides and documentaries.

AUDIOGUIDES OF THE FORMENTERA SEA (AUDIOGUÍAS DEL MAR FORMENTERA)

Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.soldecocos.formentera 

iOS
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/audioguias-del-mar-formentera/id1593399168#?platform=iphone 

AUDIOGUIDES OF THE CADIZ SEA (AUDIOGÍAS DEL MAR CÁDIZ)

Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.soldecocos 

iOS
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/audioguias-del-mar-cadiz/id1587883020#?platform=iphone 

SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON FORMENTERA

https://youtu.be/rn7-hECeLP0 

SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON CÁDIZ

https://youtu.be/wdOblcvLCLY 

19 November 2021
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera