The felling and relocation of trees on the UIB campus, especially in the Can López car park (located behind the Guillem Cifre de Colonya and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos buildings), has generated unease among part of the university community, who question the impact of the actions on the campus's landscape and natural heritage.

The tranquility in Sineu and the Son Venrell area has been disrupted once again. The Macrogranges No platform has reported a new manure spill to the Ministry of Agriculture on the property where the mega-farm was to be built. It occurred on Thursday, March 19th. According to the organization, the spill caused "strong odors" that spread throughout the municipality of Sineu and were clearly noticeable even to residents of Lloret de Vistalegre, generating considerable public concern. The incident was not only documented by local witnesses, but the Sineu Local Police and agents from the Seprona (Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard) were also notified and carried out the necessary on-site investigations. The platform has expressed its "grave concern" about the environmental impact these practices could have in an area "considered vulnerable, especially due to the risk of nitrate contamination of the subsoil and groundwater."

Raíces Marines has asked Ports IB to halt the project to reorganize the Formentor Bay mooring field in order to assess its environmental impact and study alternatives with less impact on the seabed. The project involves installing 29 large concrete blocks (1.71 x 1.71 x 0.5 meters) to create a buoy field. According to the organization, the documentation analyzed does not include any environmental impact study or associated document that would allow determining whether the initiative has undergone the required assessment procedure. Raíces Marines also warns that the project does not include an adequate characterization of the seabed nor does it describe the benthic habitats present in the area. In this regard, it points out the presence of seagrass meadows. Cymodocea nodosa in the Bay of Formentor, which are neither mentioned nor mapped in the project.

Ninety-three percent of the Posidonia seagrass specimens planted in Pollença Bay since 2018 have survived, which experts consider a significant success for this type of regenerative practice. The project, promoted by Redeia and the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC), has consisted of the "active restoration of Posidonia oceanica in the Bay of Pollença,” as spokespeople from both institutions explained this morning in Esporles. According to the project's final report, the survival rate of the transplanted specimens confirms the initiative's strength and effectiveness.

Eduardo Maynau, delegate of Electrical Grid In the Balearic Islands, it was argued this Wednesday that the entry point of the second electrical cable connecting to the Peninsula via La Herradura is "undoubtedly the option with the least environmental impact on the Posidonia oceanica habitat," considered to be of European Community interest. According to the Red Eléctrica delegation in the Balearic Islands, all submarine electrical connection projects include "very detailed studies carried out by an independent third party" on geophysics, geotechnics, bathymetry, fishing, navigation, and seabed characterization before proposing any landing.

The presidents of the Ibiza and Formentera councils announced this Wednesday that they will request the use of funds from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS)—formerly known as the ecotax—to cover the costs of transporting waste from the Pitiusas Islands to the TIRME plant in Mallorca, as part of a waste management pilot program. According to estimates, approximately 91% of the waste will come from Ibiza and 9% from Formentera, and the annual costs of the pilot program are estimated at around €10 million. During the summer, the population of Ibiza doubles and that of Formentera triples, which proportionally increases waste generation. Council officials believe it makes sense for the tourism sector to contribute, through the ITS, to solving this shared problem.

A BASE jump from a prohibited area in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range has raised concerns among environmentalists in Mallorca. The video of the jump, circulated on social media, shows the activity taking place just meters from one of the few remaining active osprey nests, a species listed as vulnerable and currently beginning its breeding season. The Balearic Ornithological and Nature Defense Group (GOB) has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, requesting increased monitoring of sports and adventure activities in the Serra de Tramuntana to protect endangered wildlife. According to the statement, the jump was made from an exclusion zone designated by the Natural Resources Management Plan (PORN), which prohibits all recreational and sporting activities. The video, clearly identifiable, shows both the jumper and the person who retrieved them with a boat, as well as the name of the company that organized the activity. Environmentalists point out that the exclusion zone is precisely the area with the highest biological value or fragile natural elements, as established by the Law for the Conservation of Areas of Environmental Interest. The osprey has only 11 breeding pairs located in Mallorca last year, and any disturbance could seriously affect its reproductive success. The GOB (Balearic Ornithological Group) warns that the growth of adventure tourism and mountain sports can have negative impacts on species conservation and calls for responsibility from citizens and businesses. "Access restrictions to the most environmentally sensitive areas must be respected," insist the environmentalists, who demand immediate action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The proposal by the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Council) to reclassify a section of the old Pollença-Lluc road has drawn criticism from several groups advocating for public rights. The initiative affects the section between kilometers 3.2 and 3.4 of the road, where it passes through a property in the municipality of Pollença. GADMA and the Pro Public and Open Paths of Pollença platform have expressed their opposition to the measure. According to sources from Pro Paths, the restoration of the old Lluc road was the result of years of campaigning to prevent the closure of a route they consider clearly public. The group points out that this road was originally built by the Provincial Council and is listed in several official documents, such as the 1973 National Plan for Provincial Roads and the 1991 Pollença Municipal General Plan. Furthermore, it has been included in the inventory of assets of the Consell de Mallorca since 2008. "We are surprised that the public nature of this road was recognized and that they are now considering removing a section of it from the public domain," the platform explains. They claim that some landowners whose properties the road crosses already opposed the recovery of certain sections and fear that the Consell's decision could ultimately benefit these interests. The Pro Caminos group also warns that removing paths of interest to hikers from the public domain could represent a loss for the collective heritage. "These paths are part of our history and our landscape." "When a public path is lost, citizens' access to the natural environment is also limited," the organization points out. The mayor of Pollença, Martí March, explained that the Consell's proposal also took the City Council by surprise. "This decision surprises us because we haven't been informed of anything," he asserted. March added that the City Council will review all the documentation and files related to the case to determine if it can submit objections during the public comment period. Meanwhile, the organizations are urging the Consell de Mallorca to reconsider the proposal and guarantee the conservation and public use of this historic route in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains.

The Inca City Council has begun renovation work on the drinking water reservoir at the Les Monges pass. This project aims to ensure the proper functioning of this strategic infrastructure for the municipality's water supply. The contract has been awarded to Obras Comas Beltran SL for €259,906.21 (VAT included). The total construction period will be five months, although the repair and waterproofing work inside the reservoir will be completed within a maximum of one month to guarantee the municipality's water supply at all times.

Shipping is responsible for 33.5% of marine debris, while 32.2% comes from tourism, commerce, and hospitality, according to a new pilot study conducted in the Balearic Islands by the Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza Preservation Foundations. The study reveals a widespread and persistent presence of marine debris. The study is based on two sampling campaigns carried out during the spring and autumn of 2025 at 21 locations across the four islands. Seventy volunteer divers surveyed 136 underwater transects measuring 25 by 4 meters, collecting all types of debris. The main conclusion of the study, after analyzing a total area of ​​16,120 m² of the seabed, is that there is "a widespread presence of debris, predominantly plastic," explained Elisa Langley of Ibiza Preservation.

The Manacor City Council has approved changes to the water rates for water supplied by SAM, the municipal company responsible for its management. The new, more socially oriented system will offer discounts on bills for, for example, large families, single-parent families, families with a dependent person, or families with a victim of gender-based violence. Thus, the City Council is establishing a system of consumption blocks from now on, in order to implement progressive tariffs and "so that those who consume more pay more," explained the Councilor for the Environment and President of the Board of Directors of SAM, Sebastià Llodrà, who recalled that water prices have not been touched since the population changed.

The water war continues in Palma. For the moment, Jaime Martínez's City Council has managed to avoid the preliminary reports from the Directorate General of Water Resources that prevent it from issuing building permits. The official argument is that there is a monumental backlog, which municipal sources have estimated at 500 files. Thus, the City Council emphasizes that projects to address the housing shortage have not been approved due to what it describes as a bottleneck in the Water Resources department. However, according to data consulted by ARABalears, the majority – up to 80% – of the projects that must be approved by the Directorate General are for detached houses. According to official figures, Palma does not have 500 pending applications, but rather 118. As already mentioned, the majority of these are for single-family homes, according to data from the Balearic Government. Thus, it could be concluded that the Palma City Council's Urban Planning Department is requesting permission from the regional government, regarding water resources, to build detached houses. In all cases, the procedure is carried out because the proposed construction site is a flood zone, and regulations require a ruling from the water authority.

As a child, Antoni Escandell wanted to be Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and work with him. A dream that the tragic plane crash suffered by the Burgos-born broadcaster in Alaska in 1980 thwarted, but which only served as the impetus that confirmed the true vocation of the Menorcan naturalist and filmmaker. "My parents and family have always said that by the age of three I already had a keen interest in wildlife, birds, and biodiversity," explains Escandell, who at 63 is still motivated to promote audiovisual and educational projects about nature. The latest, launched at the turn of the year, is called faunix.tv, a free platform where he shares much of his knowledge and material recorded over decades. From the 65 episodes of the wild Balearic Islands from IB3 in the documentaries broadcast by TV3, the Castaways of Evolution about the endemic lizard of Aire Island, doubly awarded in the United States and the Life in cold bloodFilmed in collaboration with Richard Attenborough for the BBC, among others.

The Palma City Council will allocate €2.2 million to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment of Carnatge and its shoreline. The funding comes in part from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS). The Palma Governing Board approved the project proposal this Wednesday. The objective is the protection, restoration, and environmental enhancement of this coastal area, in order to strengthen its conservation and improve its integration as a key natural space for the municipality, as reported at a press conference by the deputy municipal spokesperson, Llorenç Bauzá. The contract is structured in two separate packages. The first, with an estimated duration of 17 months, will be managed by the Parks and Gardens department and will focus on natural preservation, environmental restoration, and the improvement of green spaces across an area exceeding 200,000 square meters.

Recent storms have washed away almost all the sand from the most popular beaches on Menorca's south coast. The force of the wind and the pounding waves have completely devastated the beaches of Binigaus, Sant Tomàs, and Sant Adeodat, in the municipality of Migjorn Gran, as well as the first stretch of Son Bou (Alaior), the island's longest beach. In the case of Son Bou, the remaining almost two and a half kilometers of coastline are now reduced to just a third of their original dune system. This significant reduction in sand has sparked concern among the affected municipalities just over two months before the official start of the tourist season.

A video shared by the Instagram profile @holajolaibiza has shown a shark swimming in the Marina Botafoc port in Ibiza, in an image as unusual as it is striking. The scene, recorded one morning in February, shows the animal moving calmly just a few meters from the docks in one of the island's busiest nautical areas. According to experts, it could be a blue shark, a common Mediterranean species but uncommon near the coast, and even less so in ports. These types of sightings are usually related to rough seas or sudden changes in marine conditions that can disorient these pelagic animals. Despite the surprise generated by the presence of a shark so close to urban areas, experts remind us that this is neither an exceptional event nor a danger to the population. In recent years, sporadic sightings of sharks and other large marine species have been recorded off the coasts of the Balearic Islands, often documented thanks to social media. These observations highlight the richness and fragility of the archipelago's marine biodiversity, where many shark species are present but rarely seen and, in many cases, threatened by human activity.

Try it out. Go to Google Earth (available on web and Android) and do zoom On top of your favorite beach, select the 'Show past images' function until you find the first clear photo. We tested this on the beaches of the small, overpopulated municipality of Ibiza, as they are the subject of this article: Talamanca, Les Figueretes, and a section of Playa de la Bossa. The first truly clear photos are from 2008-2009. Only 17 years have passed, but you can already see how Talamanca has lost some of its sand, while a section of Playa de la Bossa has simply evaporated.

The Court of Instruction number 6 of Palma has decided to close the case against former Environment Minister Miquel Mir and members of the former leadership of the Balearic Government's Environment Department for alleged malfeasance related to the systematic expiration of files within the Department. Legal sources explained to ARA Baleares that it was not easy to keep the investigation open despite the complaint filed by the Environmental Prosecutor's Office, "since for malfeasance offenses, the intent must be clearly identified, and in this case, it appears to be primarily systematic negligence." The court closed the case precisely because, based on the statements taken, it cannot be concluded that the files were deliberately allowed to expire.

Two adult striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalbaTwo dead sea turtles were found on January 18th and 19th on two beaches in the Balearic Islands. One was found in Cala Galdana, Menorca, and the other on Trenc beach, Mallorca. In both cases, the animals were found in good physical condition and were taken to the Palma Aquarium Foundation facilities for analysis and scientific study.

The stranding of a sailboat on the bay's promenade after recent winds has once again brought attention to illegal anchoring and the abandonment of vessels along the Balearic coast. This is the complaint of the environmental organization Arrels Marines, which warns that the incident "is not only a consequence of the storm but also of a structural problem" of lack of control and neglect along the coastline.