Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Garrucha beaches fail to meet quality standards

The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to over 3200 beaches and marinas in 37 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean and is the best known qualification for beaches amongst the public. Here in Spain those beaches that don't obtain a blue flag can try for the 'Q de Calidad' (Q for Quality) flag, a Spanish scheme with similar standards but seen by many as a fallback for those beaches that can't get the Blue Flag.

This year Garrucha is the only important tourist destination on the Levante coast to have neither of these awards in a year when spending is down and the tourist industry is feeling the pinch. Vera and Carboneras both have beaches with the Q de Calidad flag and Mojacar has two beaches with the Blue Flag classification (despite the fact that there are still no lifeguards).


One of the biggest problems the beaches in the Mojacar, Garrucha and Vera area have faced over the last few years has been the sewage treatment in the area which does not have the capacity to deal with the extra waste produced due to the number of visitors in summer months. This means that faecal material is regularly dumped into the sea through outfall pipes reaching one kilometre out to sea. Investment is being made to solve the problem, but according Salvemos Mojacar, an environmental pressure group that has instigated several court proceedings against local ayuntamientos for not meeting EU regulations for sewage disposal, the projected spending falls well short of what is needed to conform to European legislation.

No comments: