Balearics signs up for “clean ports” campaign

The Balearics, Cataluña and the French region of Languedoc-Rosellón have agreed to co-operate in a “clean ports” project aimed at reducing the impact ports and shipping have on the Mediterranean environment. The campaign, which will start this year and run until 2006, will involve 150 ports in the three participating regions. This year, as part of the first phase of the project, three pilot schemes will be carried out in ports located near natural parks. A number of studies are already being carried out in order to establish the key environmental and ecological problems facing ports and the principal damage caused by shipping and the nautical industry. The results of the studies, being carried out in each of the three regions, will be used as the basis for a series of practical projects.