The companies that organized the maritime excursions known as party boats based in the port of Palma have decided to take to court the decision of the Port Authority to expel them from the area where they are currently located (in front of the Auditorium) due to the new layout of the port of Palma. Five companies in the sector, Barca Samba, Cruceros Marco Polo, Mallorca Sailing Catamarans, Nautical Adventures, and Ociana Calvià have filed an administrative contentious appeal against the tender promoted by the Balearic Port Authority (APB), which in practice means their expulsion from the 'golondrines' pier and a profound shift in the model of tourist activity within the port precinct.

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has reiterated to the Association for the Revitalization of Old Centers (ARCA) that the Palma port transformation project is based "on technical rigor and the general interest". The president of the APB, Javier Sanz, and the director, Toni Ginard, met this Tuesday with representatives of ARCA to clarify the axes of the transformation project.

Two people were injured in an explosion inside a boat moored in the port of Palma, an incident that mobilized emergency services. According to a statement from SAMU 061, the incident occurred at 11:00 a.m. at the Palma shipyard, on the Escullera road. Police sources indicated that the explosion took place inside the boat while it was docked at the port facilities.

The Civil Guard has found the body of a 29-year-old British woman on a large yacht moored in the port of Palma. The armed force has launched an investigation and is awaiting the autopsy results to proceed further in the case. Currently, foul play is ruled out, as no signs of violence were found on the woman's body or on the yacht. This was explained by the Civil Guard after the analysis carried out by the coroner and the force's forensics unit. According to their findings, the deceased woman was part of the yacht's crew, and a colleague raised the alarm around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday. However, the medical services dispatched to the scene could only confirm her death.

A sailor at the port of Palma has filed a lawsuit against D-Marin Spain, the company that manages the moorings, and the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB), claiming €15,000 in damages for emotional distress due to an alleged violation of his fundamental right to protection from retaliation. According to the lawsuit, which ARA Baleares has obtained, the worker—who has been with the company since 2014—maintains that the sanction imposed by the company is direct retaliation for his having legally demanded better pay and reported labor irregularities. The plaintiff, who works as a professional sailor and skipper, asserts that he is the only employee with all the necessary maritime qualifications for the service provided by the company, qualifications which, he argues, are essential for D-Marin to maintain its public service concession. In this context, he states that he requested a salary supplement and a voluntary leave of absence with job security, a claim he ended up taking to court after a failed attempt at conciliation. Six days after filing the lawsuit, the company notified him of a disciplinary sanction. This timing is key to the complaint, which argues that the measure violates the fundamental right to effective judicial protection and the guarantee of immunity from prosecution enshrined in the Constitution. Complaints regarding safety and lack of documentation

The worker also recounts that he had warned the company about deficiencies in the documentation and safety of several vessels used for maneuvers within the port, including a rented boat that, according to him, might not meet the legal requirements to operate in this area. He claims that he requested insurance, navigation permits, risk assessments, and other technical documentation, without receiving a response. According to the document, these warnings allegedly escalated the conflict with the company. The plaintiff maintains that, far from correcting the alleged irregularities, management opted to open a disciplinary procedure against him, which he considers "unjustified" and processed without the required prior hearing, and therefore he also requests its annulment. The lawsuit is also directed against the Balearic Islands Port Authority, which the worker attributes to possible responsibility for a lack of oversight regarding compliance with the public contract awarded to D-Marin. According to the worker, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) should have ensured that the company had the necessary qualified personnel and that maritime operations were carried out with all safety guarantees. In addition to seeking the annulment of the sanction, the worker is claiming compensation for moral damages, linking them to anxiety and stress resulting from the labor dispute. The requested amount—€15,000—is based on Supreme Court jurisprudence and the indicative application of the social sanctions regime for very serious offenses. The case is currently pending judicial resolution.

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The Civil Guard is investigating the death of a man whose body was found floating in the sea near the commercial dock of the port of Palma on Tuesday. Investigators are working on the hypothesis that he may have been a migrant who died during the crossing to the Balearic Islands in a makeshift boat. The body was spotted during the morning and recovered around midday by agents of the Special Underwater Activities Group (GEAS). Sources close to the investigation confirmed that, once the body was brought ashore, the corresponding legal protocol was activated. A judicial delegation took charge of the body and ordered its removal before its transfer to the Institute of Legal Medicine, where an autopsy will be performed. This should determine both the identity of the deceased and the exact cause of death.

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Near the Baleària ferry terminal in the port of Palma, where thousands of tourists disembark in Mallorca each year, white tents with heavy police presence are visible at the entrance. These facilities house only adult male migrants arriving on the island's shore for 24, or sometimes 48, hours before they travel to the Spanish mainland. Minors go directly to Son Tous, and women with children go to Red Cross facilities. "There's no one here; everyone leaves very quickly," says a worker guiding the media through the different areas. Since these facilities opened in November 2015, 472 people have passed through Mallorca; 555 through the port of Ibiza; and 90 through Formentera.

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The Civil Guard and Customs Surveillance have arrested a 74-year-old man at the port of Palma as he attempted to smuggle 44 kilos of cocaine hidden in a false bottom of his vehicle. The incident, as reported by the Civil Guard Command in the Balearic Islands in a statement, took place on Wednesday during a random check carried out as a regular ferry from Barcelona to Palma disembarked at the commercial dock. The officers, aided by a drug-sniffing dog, inspected both the interior and exterior of the vehicles as they disembarked. The dog showed particular interest in a specific area of ​​one of the vehicles, so the officers decided to conduct a manual search. Hidden in a false bottom, the officers found 38 bags containing 44 kilos of cocaine, valued at approximately 1.18 million euros. Operation Tebal also resulted in the seizure of €5,200 in cash. The 74-year-old man was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a drug trafficking offense. He is expected to appear before a judge on Thursday.

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Designing the new port of Palma will cost €2.1 million. This is the starting price for the tender launched by the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) to contract the technical assistance that will draft the Master Plan and the urban development proposal for the transformation of the commercial docks and the eastern waterfront of the Port of Palma. The tender is now open, and teams of architects and engineers have until February to submit proposals based on the APB's guidelines, which are included in the various published tender documents. This is a long-awaited project, debated for years in institutional, economic, and public spheres, and it must address some of the main challenges facing the port in the 21st century, following exponential growth in ships, cargo, and, most recently, passengers. The renovation stems from the political and institutional consensus reached by the APB Board of Directors on October 30, 2024, after clashes between representatives of the different administrations. The original 2020 reorganization plan generated controversy among shipping companies and repair firms, who felt that the proposal did not adequately address the port's operational and industrial needs. Furthermore, left-wing parties criticized the plan, warning of a model geared towards leisure and the commercialization of the city's waterfront. Faced with this rejection, the APB board initiated a broader debate process that culminated in the 2024 agreement.

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The waste from Ibiza that will be transferred to Mallorca will arrive at the ports of Palma and Alcúdia and will be unloaded "at the same docks as commercial cargo," according to Antoni Ginard, director of the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB), speaking on the radio program ARA Baleares. The APB maintains that the facilities can handle the operation, while the Balearic Government is preparing the legal framework to send up to 30,000 tons of manure to Son Reus. The public body wants to ensure the continuity and smooth operation of the waste disposal process with other port activities, such as tourism and passenger transport, which "are of paramount importance" to the facilities. The APB manages approximately 18 million tons of cargo annually, so the director believes that these two ports can handle the transfer of 30,000 tons of Ibiza's waste, a quantity of waste that is expected to arrive at Son Reus by May 2026, according to the Government's projections. "We move more than 18 million tons of goods a year. This isn't a problem," he says.

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The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) presented its "master plan" on Friday to transform the Port of Palma, aiming to change both its appearance and function. The project to renovate nearly 400,000 square meters will cost approximately 200 million euros, and construction is expected to be completed around 2036, according to APB President José Javier Sanz. The Port-City Integration Master Plan for the Port of Palma is based on four fundamental strategic lines. The first is the diversification of cargo and passenger traffic. Therefore, the APB—which handles nearly 18 million tons of cargo and around seven million passengers annually—intends to concentrate these operations primarily on the West Dock, the Ponent Wharf, and the commercial docks, with the goal of "reducing congestion and ensuring improved traffic flow," explained Sanz. On the other hand, the second strategic line focuses on the nautical industrial activity—which generates an annual turnover of €1.1 billion and employs nearly 5,000 people—which will be relocated to the West Dock. A space for vessel repairs will also be provided. Cruise ship activity will be centralized at the Ponent Wharf with the aim of offering a smoother and more enjoyable experience for both tourists and residents. The fourth strategic line of the plan is based on port-city integration through the complete renovation of the port area, "from end to end," as Sanz emphasized. The area will include green spaces, recreational areas, and spaces for social, cultural, and educational activities, which will be located on the commercial wharves, the Old Wharf, and the Mollet Wharf. Along the same lines, Sanz announced that Port Vell will become a "large public space" housing a Dual Vocational Training Center for Nautical and Fishing Studies, given the "current high demand for these professional profiles," he explained. A second building will also be reserved for university degrees.

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Passengers gather at 6:30 a.m. at Maritime Station No. 3 in the port of Palma. There's a ferry to Formentera at eight, and a queue has formed in front of the shipping company's offices to get their boarding passes. On a bench at the back of the building, a young man sleeps, oblivious to the entire oil mill. He's dressed in a tracksuit with a hat covering his face. At his feet, he has a green plastic bag with a sweatshirt inside. He's one of the thousands of people who have arrived by boat in recent weeks. He's resting soundly, while the noise increases as the minutes pass. Spoons can be heard tapping against cups in the cafeteria, a sleepy child cries, and a nervous dog scratches its owner's legs. There are more suitcases and backpacks at every turn. Near the sleeping young man, a woman is burning herself with hot water, oblivious to her surroundings. Groups of young people show their excitement at traveling with their friends.

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Members of the Civil Society Forum On Wednesday, they called for a sailing school to be built in the port of Palma, specifically at the breakwater, the restoration of Muelle Vell to increase the city's proximity to the sea, and the shifting of nautical repression to the western breakwater. These are the main actions envisaged in the alternative proposal prepared by the entity to refute the preliminary draft port reorganization proposal drawn up by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). According to Jaume Garau, a member of the Fòrum executive committee, the APB's initiative "implies an increase in ship mobility and the need for new platforms, which is absolutely absurd."

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Migrants arriving in Mallorca by boat and bound for the Iberian Peninsula will be able to spend the night at Maritime Station Number 3 (EM3) in the Port of Palma. The measure came into effect this past Saturday, pursuant to the negotiations and agreements reached between the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the Spanish Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands to care for these individuals who are part of the asylum seeker protection program in Spain, the APB reported in a statement.

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