The GOB reactivates the Manacor and Felanitx delegations to strengthen the local struggle in the region.

PalmIn the early 1980s, the Balearic Ornithology and Nature Protection Group (GOB) had 25 branches in the Balearic Islands. One boom, between 1982 and 1983, which was a direct consequence of a state modification that put the islands' coastal territory at risk, "as it does with rural areas," explains Xavier Garí, a member of the new board of the environmental group. This danger triggered a process of increasing local influence in protest actions to stop, among others, construction projects in Albufera, Mondragó (Santanyí), Punta de n'Amer (Sant Llorenç), and, later, Cala Petita (Manacor).

It was mainly the coastal municipalities that were most involved in the defense, while Palma and large municipalities in Mallorca such as Manacor and Llucmajor constituted points of reinforcement of the protectionist discourse. "Later, the network expanded to other municipalities in the Pla, for example, which formed their own groups." A task that the new GOB board, formed seven months ago, wants to resume, starting with the places where it maintains the most members: Manacor and Felanitx.

It's been a quarter of a century since the last major meeting of local groups took place in Son Servera in 2000. This also led to the emergence of the GOB's latest powerful campaign: "Mallorca at its limit. It's time to stop.". "They were still very active times, because in parallel, environmental education workshops were being held in schools." Two strands, one more naturalistic and the other clearly focused on urban planning, complemented a two-way effort of support and activities.

And so, why has this space for 'local' awareness been lost? "The time that would have been necessary hasn't been dedicated in recent years, it's that clear," says Garí. "Then the 2008 crisis hit, and little by little, the decision was made to centralize the work from Ciutat" and pivot to a more generic discourse, "without as much firsthand dynamism."

Now, and after the election of the new board at the end of 2024, led by Teresa Cuennet, the goal is to reactivate that motivation that led residents to fight against the collapses that now once again endanger (or continue to endanger) water resources and sensitive land. "We've been doing much worse in recent years, so we need to return to that spirit." "It's about decentralizing through activities, above all."

50 years and just over 6,000 members

Founded in 1973, over the past 50-plus years, the GOB has transitioned from studying endemic birds to fighting for the conservation of a territory increasingly affected by the construction and speculative market. "The proposal and commitment, over the last few months, have been to start by launching the delegations where we have the most members," that is, Manacor, with 250, and Felanitx, with 131. We have already started to hold the first meetings."

In Mallorca, the group still maintains 15 municipalities with more effective control of the number and the need to update telephone numbers and email addresses, in order to return to regular communication. make it a reality.

Specifically, Manacor approved, in the municipal plenary session in May, at the proposal of the municipal groups MÉS-Esquerra, PSIB-PSOE and AIPC-SYS, a joint motion rejecting the urgent actions aimed at obtaining land through Strategic Residential Projects (0). "First we must finish the planned urbanizable areas... only then can we talk about other actions. If not, it doesn't make sense," stresses the mayor, Miquel Oliver.

Now, and following parliamentary approval, with the support of the PP and Vox, of the so-called law of urgent actions aimed at obtaining land, which, among other things, will allow rural land to be reclassified as "the land, to build more land," says Garí.

Asked how to become a member of the GOB, he explains that it can be done "directly from the website, from where you can choose whether to pay a monthly fee or a single one." Currently, the GOB has 6.