Thousands of boats committed to illegal deaths are damaging the seabed.

PalmBetween 8,000 and 12,000 deaths or illegal permanent anchoring due to mooring boats have plagued the Balearic Islands' coastline for decades, a consequence of historical inaction by the government. These facilities cause a significant environmental impact, to which must be added the abandonment of hundreds of moored vessels, which are entering a phase of degradation "discharging fuel, oil, plastic waste, and various chemical materials into the sea," explains the biologist responsible for the report. Balearic SeaRaquel Vaquer. Furthermore, "these anchorages are often in areas that don't have the same level of protection as a port, because they have been occupied irregularly, which means bad weather affects the vessels much more severely and, therefore, the degradation process accelerates," she concludes.

The figures for irregular deaths on the island's coast are not easy to obtain, because there is no study: "This already demonstrates the lack of interest of the administrations," laments Josep Vives, a specialist from the Arrels Marines entity, who has been denouncing this for years. the chaos in the bay of Pollença, one of the worst areas in all of the Balearic IslandsAccording to his calculations, between those currently active, which number 500 in the summer, and those already abandoned, there could be more than 1,500 deaths. "The problem is that for years the use of the sea with these structures has been tolerated, and users consider it a right. No government has seriously intervened. But now we've reached the limit," he concludes. In addition to Pollença, there are the Port of Sóller, Portocolom, Colonia de Sant Jordi, Talamanca (Ibiza), and, to a lesser extent, dozens of coastal locations where "car or truck wheels filled with cement, along with a chain, have been dumped into the sea. A disgrace. At least 8,000."

Precisely this lack of monitoring leads to many discrepancies between the figures held by conservation organizations and those of the Administration. The Director General of Ports and Maritime Transport, Antoni Mercant, believes that Talking about 10,000 deaths is "an exaggeration", although it acknowledges that no official data exists. In any case, the figures should be available not to the Autonomous Community but to the State, as it has jurisdiction over the uses made of the public domain. Although it partially transferred its management in 2022, the Ministry of Ecological Transition is responsible for authorizing what can be done on the coast.

It won't be easy to change course.

The top official for Coasts at the regional level asserts that "a series of actions must be implemented." He adds: "I want to be clear, it won't be easy. There are hundreds of small landowners who have done this all their lives, and it's true that action must be taken, but it won't be easy. For now, what I do want to emphasize is that we collaborate when asked, and especially if the competent authority, which is the State, initiates proceedings."

In this regard, the Director General of Coasts wants to emphasize that one alternative, "albeit with limited capacity," are the so-called buoy fields. These are facilities built legally, with a prior environmental analysis and in compliance with regulations. And also, of course, with the relevant authorization from the Administration: "We currently manage eight buoy fields and there are another five under construction. In addition, we must add those being developed by the Ministry of Transition. In total, I estimate that by 2026, if the plans are carried out, we could have between 900 and 1,000."

These structures are "welcome," says Steffy Pozo, Pollença's Environment Councilor, who is currently leading the municipal initiative to try to bring order to this chaos, but "it's clear that it won't solve the entire problem, because these buoys are there for a few hours, or a day, and that's fine, but those who consider themselves to have a vested right will convince them to be dismantled. And especially if they see that the State doesn't do anything," she concludes. "Historically, the State has allowed clear irregular use that affects the seabed, as they have been placed without any kind of control. Now, with the partial transfer to the regional government, we are improving a little, but not much. They keep passing the buck," says Steffy Pozo.

Pollença's Environment Councilor has launched an important battle against the proliferation of illegal killings. This week, the City Council, in collaboration with various organizations, has removed boat remains and even an abandoned sailboat. "It's a real mess because you can't touch a boat without notifying its owner, or proving that you've tried to notify them and haven't located them. And you find boats abandoned for years, sinking and causing a horrendous environmental impact. It's a fight against the Administration itself and its apathy," she says.

In fact, the Mallorca Regional Government (GOB) this year denounced the "terrible" situation in the Bay of Pollença, with thousands of illegal anchorages, and described how this practice is progressively putting an end to marine biodiversity. The response from the State Coastal Demarcation, signed by Jorge Miguel Ortega, dares to assert that, in order to initiate disciplinary proceedings, the GOB must demonstrate that "the deceased's occupation of the vessel lasted for more than one day, specifying the exact dates." With this argument, the State Coastal Demarcation told the GOB that it cannot initiate any proceedings. "It makes things seem small. They know perfectly well that the deaths and the boats that have been moored have been there for years and years," affirm the GOB Pollença volunteers who carried out the proceedings before the Administration.

Some do business.

As if that weren't enough, there are at least two detected cases of individuals renting these illegal moorings to third parties. In Talamanca Bay, Ibiza, the protagonist is Evaristo Soler, a longtime acquaintance from past conflicts in Porroig, who is now back on the scene offering illegal moorings and covert rentals in the heart of a protected posidonia area. Soler allegedly installed and managed moorings without permission and, according to residents and organizations, charges for their use. This practice constitutes an illegal occupation of public maritime and terrestrial land, with serious environmental and legal consequences. Residents describe him as a "regrettable character" who "makes money out of what belongs to everyone" while destroying the seabed.

The bay is under heavy nautical pressure, and irregular anchoring has already caused damage to the posidonia meadows. The Government and the Ibiza City Council have deployed the largest surveillance operation to date, removing boats and nearly four tons of waste and anchoring structures. The Civil Guard's Nature Protection Service (Seprona) is investigating the case and monitoring for possible further movements in the area.

Organizations such as Arrels Marines and the GOB Ibiza warn that Talamanca is becoming "a luxury pirate parking lot." They demand exemplary sanctions and the immediate removal of all illegal installations. Neus Prats, spokesperson for the GEN-GOB Ibiza, says: "We have to keep in mind that this whole thing about putting a dead body in the dock has been going on forever. And there was a certain condescension because there were four small boats. In recent years, as with everything, there has been an outbreak of illegal uses, people anchoring boats that are not there. And when, on top of that, you start renting illegally, then it's a disgrace that we cannot tolerate. Let's not forget that it affects protected areas, some of which are of community interest," she warns.