Massification in the Balearic Sea due to the eclipse: a destruction that will take decades to recover

PalmaMore than 10,000 boats will set sail off the coast of the Balearic Islands to witness the eclipse on August 12, a meteorological event that could have "very negative" environmental consequences. This is explained by Raquel Vaquer, a biologist at the Marilles Foundation, who assures that "the destruction of marine flora and fauna that could occur if the rules are not respected during the 1.5-minute eclipse will take decades to recover".

Although the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment is carrying out a surveillance and control operation "without precedent", the Director General of Ports IB, Toni Mercant, explains that "at sea there are no special restrictions or prohibitions for this event, there are recommendations and also current regulations". A fact that, according to both Vaquer and "}Joan Moranta, president of the GOB, will make it impossible to control what all boats do and will have a "brutal impact" on the entire marine ecosystem of the Archipelago.

In this regard, Moranta remarks that "this day everyone will throw the anchor in the best place they find to see the eclipse and without thinking about the consequences or where they are anchoring". Vaquer, for his part, remarks that even though it is prohibited, "there are already illegal anchorages every day", and adds that on August 12th, "it will increase significantly".

Marine sciences doctor Raquel Vaquer explains that the Archipelago's marine ecosystem "is subjected to many pressures, especially during the summer months" and that this overcrowding, which will be registered on August 12, could have "very serious consequences". Vaquer explains that, according to a study, a 15-meter boat tore up a patch of Posidonia seagrass that would need five years in optimal conditions to recover, and it emphasizes the idea that if we add up all the illegal anchorages that can occur August 12th to see the eclipse, full recovery, "if possible" would be "decades away".

Environmental dangers of overcrowding at sea

Both Vaquer and Moranta agree on the fact that anchoring on meadows (of posidonia and other plants and algae) are the main problem that could cause this overpopulation of the marine ecosystem. Anchoring could uproot many bundles and leave patches in areas where meadows are the center of the marine ecosystem.

However, the oceanographer explains that "it is not the only environmental danger of the maritime overcrowding that will be experienced that day". As she explains, there could also be spills of fuel, oil, and dirty water that would contaminate the water, plastic waste could increase, and it will be a day with high noise pollution that could affect both marine fauna and birds living on the coast.

However, Vaquer points out that the problem is that on the seabed "it is not like land where the consequences of actions are easily seen, it is more difficult, and when they become visible it is already too late." In this regard, she criticizes that currently "the sea is seen as a space for leisure or as a simple landscape and we forget that it is an ecosystem".

An unprecedented control device

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment has announced an "unprecedented" control device to prevent both coastal forest fires and illegal anchoring in posidonia meadows. A total of twenty boats will sail along the Balearic coast on August 12. As detailed by councilor Joan Simonet, the Government's Posidonia Surveillance Service will deploy a special "preventive" operation.

This will start in the days leading up to the eclipse and will particularly reinforce surveillance in Ciutadella, Sóller, Andratx, Colònia de Sant Jordi, and the west coast of Ibiza, areas where a greater concentration of boats is expected. From the ministry, they explain that the Posidonia Surveillance Service will develop "a direct information campaign with boat captains to remind them of the need to anchor respectfully and prevent anchors and chains from impacting Posidonia meadows." Additionally, they will also inform navigators about available respectful anchoring systems.

For environmentalists, this measure is "positive, but insufficient." Vaquer advocates for limiting access to protected areas, as is done in the Serra de Tramuntana, controlling access to prevent these more vulnerable areas from exceeding their capacity. "Access to protected marine areas and shallow bays could be limited," he adds.

Despite the large operation that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment has announced it will deploy, it has also wanted to clarify that "the responsibilities of the maritime safety service do not correspond to the Government."

All in all, the reality is that although the focus of attention and restrictions have focused on the overcrowding that will occur in the Serra de Tramuntana, the pressure that will be experienced in the Balearic Islands to witness the eclipse also poses a serious danger to the marine flora and fauna of the Archipelago. A marine ecosystem that, according to environmentalists, "is not sufficiently protected from the pressure it will receive."