Orihuela Council appears to have bowed to mounting public pressure over the deteriorating condition of several Orihuela Costa beaches, launching an €80,520 tender for the collection, removal and transport of Posidonia oceanica remains to a treatment plant.
The move comes only days after former Unidos X la Costa president Tomás Moreno called on the council to clear seaweed from La Caleta beach as the summer season gets underway. For many residents and visitors, the situation had clearly become unacceptable, with large accumulations of seaweed leaving parts of the coastline looking neglected at one of the most important times of the year for tourism.
The council says the contract will allow beaches to be kept in the best possible condition during the busiest months, while ensuring that the removal of posidonia is carried out in an environmentally responsible way and in line with coastal protection rules.
The service will cover beaches and coves across Orihuela Costa, including Punta Prima, Cala Mosca, Cala Estaca, Cala Cerrada, Cala Bosque, Cala Capitán, La Caleta, Aguamarina, La Glea, Barranco Rubio and Mil Palmeras.
However, rather than simply acknowledging that the problem had got out of hand, councillor for Street Cleaning and Municipal Solid Waste Rocío Ortuño offered a lengthy explanation of why posidonia is often left on the beaches.
She said residents should understand that its presence “does not mean dirt or a lack of maintenance,” describing it as a protected marine plant of great ecological value and an indicator of the excellent quality of Mediterranean waters.
She quite obviously has not recently visited Playa la Caleta where the situation is quite clearly out of hand.
Nevertheless, with the summer season beginning and complaints growing, the council has now moved to act. The contract will cover the removal, transport and management of the plant remains whenever environmental conditions and beach use make intervention necessary.
SEE ALSO: Calls for Orihuela Council to cleare seaweed from beaches
