The Government will implement the Blue Week in schools and create the I Mesa de Nautica de Baleares

The Director General of Ports and Maritime Transport of the Balearic Islands, Antoni Mercant, announced during the I Blue Marina Forum that the regional executive will create the I Mesa de la Náutica de les Illes Balears.

One of the objectives will be to lay the foundations to promote sustainable transition in the marine industry.  “This table will be composed of the entire sector, together with scientific institutions such as IMEDEA, UIB or the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, will allow us to lay the groundwork for looking to the future” says Mercant.  

This has been one of the most important announcements made by the Government of the Balearic Islands at the I Blue Marina Forum organized by Puerto Portals. The Blue Marina Forum is a space that seeks to open the debate on what more can be done to promote sustainable transition in the marine industry, with experts from various fields to provide learning and critical points of view. The path is marked: the commitment to Europe is to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% and this can only be achieved with the commitment of all the actors involved.  

Experts from the nautical sector participated in this 1st Blue Marina Forum, such as the chemical engineer and head of the Technical Area of ANEN (National Association of Marine Industries), José Luis Fayos, the head of expansion and sustainable development of AlcudiaMar, María del Mar Vera, and the biologist and representative of the Marilles Foundation, Toni Font. All of them have been moderated by the CEO of Puerto Portals, Corinna Graf. According to Graf, “we are at a turning point. We have to hurry. We are approaching the point of no return. We are facing big challenges. 

All the experts agreed that the sector is moving steadily towards sustainability in marinas. They pointed out that the most urgent measures that need to be implemented revolve around the following: 

Water and electricity. 

Assume the natural limits and respect them. 

Technology: to incorporate it definitively in all the processes to know the data and to make them extensible to the users.

New generations: educational work with children on respect and love for the sea. 

On this last point, the Government has also announced that the Balearic Islands will implement the Blue Week for primary and secondary school students. “We have sea all year round and we see it as fundamental to have a blue week to bring the sea and sailing closer to children” says Mercant. 

According to the engineer and head of the National Association of Marine José Luis Fayos, the Balearic Islands is a leader in the incorporation of renewable energy. “We must be custodians of our environment and children are vital. We must lay the foundations now and they will be the ones to apply them,” says Fayos. The representative of the Marilles Foundation, Toni Font, has insisted on setting limits also in the sea. “We are damaging our coastline. In summer the sea is saturated. We must follow the culture of limits also in the sea” he commented.  The head of Expansion and sustainable development AlcudiaMar, Maria del Mar Vera, has pointed out the concern within the sector about the lack of qualified professionals and the need to promote studies related to the sea among the new generations.