Balearic coastline under serious threat

The environmental organisation Greenpeace yesterday presented a report on the destruction of the Balearic coastline, warning that the region's seaboard has been seriously damaged in the name of “progress and future.” Greenpeace claims that the 1.300 kilometres of Balearic coastline has suffered at the hands of massive urban development, high density populations in certain areas, too many marinas, problems with water, poor treatment of waste and problems with sewage “all have taken its toll on the Balearics.” Greenpeace concluded. However, with regards to the past 12 months, Greenpeace says that the regeneration of the beaches after last November's hurricane storms has caused the most damage. Not only to the beaches themselves, but more importantly to the sea bed and marine life in the area from where sand was being dredged, such as Banyalbufar, which is in fact a marine reserve. In the wide ranging report, Greenpeace also focuses on Spain's 31 eco-black spots, such as illegal waste dumps, new golf courses, recently built marinas and projects which have damaged and disturbed the sea-bed. Across Spain, Greenpeace in the report identifies 26 beaches where the bathing water fails to meet European Union standards, 26 illegal waste dumps, 71 golf courses, 64 commercial ports and marinas which are either newly built or have been expanded and 44 power station projects which have either caused considerable damage or pose a serious threat to the environment. The study is one of the most exhaustive and complete to have been carried out by Greenpeace, and the organisation said yesterday that its publication this year comes at an interesting time with tourism figures down with the government and hoteliers blaming the decline on the economic crisis and international insecurity. Greenpeace believes that one of the reasons less tourists are coming to certain areas of Spain and the Balearics this year is because of the environmental degredation and over development; hence Greenpeace supports the tourist tax initiative in the Balearics. Along Spain's Mediterranean seaboard and the Balearics, front line development over the years has destroyed over 25 of the coast, says Greenpeace.