A study will analyze Cabrera's carrying capacity

The President of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Margalida Prohens, has announced the initiation of a carrying capacity study for Cabrera to define the management of public use of the island.

The project will be conducted through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment, which has begun drafting a Natural Resource Management Plan (PORN) and a Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG) for the Cabrera National Park.

The Ministry is in the process of contracting the company that will draft these plans, with the condition that it must conduct this carrying capacity study. Based on this study, the management of public use of Cabrera will be defined and regulated by the PORN and the PRUG.

"From the government, we are not only investing in the conservation and sustainability of the island of Cabrera, but we also want to provide the tools for rigorous management adapted to the fragile and unique reality of the island with this carrying capacity study and its plans," said Prohens.

During the morning, they visited the port, the photovoltaic installation that generates clean energy for the existing services on the island, the cistern at Sa Font house, and the Mollet de Sa Platgeta.

Prohens noted that an initial payment has been made from the tourist tax for sustainability improvements, including the replacement of photovoltaic panels and the installation of batteries to store photovoltaic energy, as well as the implementation of an electric vehicle fleet on the island.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, emphasized the importance of balancing natural conservation with public use of environmentally significant spaces. "We need objective data to determine the carrying capacity of our protected natural areas to ensure this public use is sustainable and based on technical criteria."

Additionally, with Next Generation EU funds, two projects worth around 15 million euros have been financed for rainwater collection, improvement of wastewater treatment, building rehabilitation, and the restoration of dry stone walls. A new boat, an electric vehicle, a telemetry study for the characterization of habitats and marine species in the expanded area, and improvements in environmental education programs, an invasive species control and eradication program, and a park surveillance project using drones have also been funded.