Calvià's Posidonia Cleaning Process Becomes an International Benchmark

The municipality of Calvià has become a leading example in the Mediterranean for its natural beach cleaning and maintenance practices.

A delegation from the tourist area of Monastir, Tunisia, visited Calvià to learn about the procedures for cleaning posidonia (commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed) from the beaches, its storage, and subsequent return to the coast.

This procedure aims to preserve the environment as much as possible, retain sand on the beaches, and ensure the natural cycle of posidonia. During last year's campaign, 4,600 tons of posidonia were removed and stored in municipal tents. Once dried, the weight decreased to 2,600 tons, which were then returned to the beaches after the tourist season. The collection is carried out with special machinery that minimizes the impact and accidental removal of sand and is adapted to the periods established by the Government, depending on whether the beaches are urban or natural, with or without services.

Last week, the cleaning of all the municipality's beaches was completed with the operation at Cala Falcó, considered a natural beach, an event witnessed by the Tunisian delegation.

Andrés Barceló, manager of the municipal public company Calvià 2000, emphasized the posidonia removal model: "We are a benchmark in the Balearic Islands and Spain because we manage to return the posidonia and the sand it has accumulated, winning the battle against beach erosion in winter. Posidonia acts as a natural barrier against storms."

The removal operations, in accordance with Decree 25/2018, are carried out between March 15 and October 31, depending on the type of beach.

In the beaches of Caló de Sa Bella Dona, Cala Petita Portals Vells, and Cala Figuera, mechanical removal is not authorized, and it is only removed manually for traditional uses due to their classification as natural beaches. For mechanical removal, the periods are from May 1 to September 30 for the beaches of Cala Falcó, El Mago, and Cala Portal Vells 1, also considered natural beaches.

The Tunisian delegation, led by Faouez Ben Halima, Regional Commissioner of Tourism of Monastir, included political figures, technicians, and members of the Notre Grand Bleu Association of Monastir, accompanied by representatives from Calvià 2000, the Calvià 365 Foundation, the Government of the Balearic Islands, and the Mediterranean Cooperation Center - IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Tunisia is one of the Mediterranean regions with the largest posidonia meadows. The visit is part of the TRANSCAP program, which aims to strengthen the role of civil society organizations that support environmental conservation in the Mediterranean coastal provinces of Morocco and Tunisia.

Jorge Moreno, head of the Department of Natural Spaces of the Government, noted that "Tunisia is interested in seeing the advanced example that Calvià represents in the Balearic Islands and the Mediterranean." Marcial Bardolet, head of the Posidonia Surveillance Service of IBANAT (Balearic Institute of Nature), expressed a similar view: "Beach management means conserving the sand and understanding the value of posidonia. In Monastir, they have faced the same problems we have experienced. To combat beach erosion naturally, they have seen the operations of the Calvià Town Hall, specifically the public company Calvià 2000, a model that is leading the way in the Mediterranean."

Ms. Sahar, a representative of the Notre Grand Bleu Association of Monastir, valued the visit, explaining that "our goal is to exchange experiences with the local authorities of Monastir and here. We see how we can manage posidonia because in Calvià we have a successful example in the Mediterranean. The method we have seen is very good."