Discover the Comprehensive Management Plan for Pollença Bay

The Conselleria del Mar y del Ciclo del Agua will carry out this project in collaboration with the Ajuntament.

The Conselleria del Mar y del Ciclo del Agua, in collaboration with the Ajuntament de Pollença, will promote a Comprehensive Management Plan for Pollença Bay. The plan aims to reorganize nautical activities and improve the bay's sustainability, as well as work on improving the sanitation network and eliminating discharges, in order to prevent salinization and water pollution.

The meeting, held on October 17 at the Real Club Náutico Port de Pollença with the presence of its president Joaquín Cotoner, brought together regional and local authorities, along with representatives of the nautical, hotel sectors, and various local associations. The Minister of the Sea and Water Cycle, Juan Manuel Lafuente, participated along with the Director-General of Coasts and Shoreline, Carlos Simarro; the Director-General of Ports and Maritime Transport, Antoni Mercant; and the manager of PortsIB, Kiko Villalonga. From the Ajuntament de Pollença, Mayor Martí March was accompanied by his team.

The Management Plan seeks to reorganize moorings and delimit navigation and swimming areas, with the aim of reducing pressure on marine ecosystems and improving the safety of bathers. During the meeting, the possibility of installing a buoy field was discussed, and the possibility of creating an association of mooring users to improve the organization of moorings and promote more participative management will also be studied.

One of the most prominent needs for the proper management of the bay is the assignment of the water sheet provided in the General Plan of Ports of the Balears. For this, a request will be made to the Ministry to allocate this maritime space, which will allow efficient management of nautical activities and moorings, in accordance with current regulations. This step is key to ensuring management that respects the environment and improves the sustainability of the bay.

Lafuente emphasized that “the priority is to make a comprehensive management, focusing on the maritime part, especially on the issue of moorings. From the Conselleria, our commitment is to implement a roadmap, coordinated with the Ajuntament, to organize the management and ensure that nautical activities are developed sustainably.” He added that they will try to “put order in the bay by regulating moorings and reorganizing nautical activities.”

Regarding the environmental problems of the area, the need to perform a deep cleaning of the seabed, currently affected by remains of old moorings and abandoned boats, was also addressed. Although this task falls under the State's jurisdiction, the authorities have emphasized the importance of acting to prevent further damage to the ecosystem.

Another critical point addressed during the meeting was the situation of the sewage network in some areas of Pollença, an issue that causes great concern among both authorities and residents. Some collectors are in a state of considerable deterioration, affecting the quality of water reaching the treatment plant, preventing its reuse.

In this regard, Minister Lafuente acknowledged that “in coastal municipalities, the intrusion of seawater into purification networks is one of the most serious problems we face.” “As a society, we have made large investments in treatment plants, but if saltwater infiltrates, we can treat it and produce clean water, but it will still be salty,” Minister Lafuente recognized.

Since this is a municipal management area, the need to carry out measures to improve water management efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and prevent both salinization and water pollution was highlighted, essential factors for ecosystem protection.

Attendees at the meeting also included representatives from the Associació de Veïnats de Port de Pollença, the Club Nàutic, the Confraries de Pescadors, the Hotel Association of Pollença, the Associació de la Defensa de la Badia, and the environmental group Arrels Marines, who contributed their ideas and concerns on the topics discussed.