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Environment

Special patrols to stop parties in Es Cavall d'en Borràs area of nature reserve

Saturday and Sunday evenings, from sunset to the early morning hours the following days, Formentera Local Police (PLF) and Formentera Civil Guard (GCF) performed special patrols to prevent illegal parties in Es Cavall d'en Borràs area of the Ses Salines Nature Reserve.

Friday 29 July, an illegal party took place in that area, though law enforcement received no word until the following day, when agents learned about it through videos posted to social media. These patrols will continue in the days ahead.

Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera, has called for a special meeting so the GCF, Coastal Authority and Office of Environment can coordinate around security and "stop these situations that endanger our fragile reserve and are at odds with the quiet island we want".

According to Josep Marí, councillor of interior, "we have repeatedly asked for greater police presence to keep Formentera safe and take aim at illegal parties in protected public spaces and private homes".

On Saturday night there were two illegal parties in two houses in the area of Cala en Baster. PLF and GCF agents responded to the report. In both cases the PLF cited violations of the municipal environmental and public health ordinance on noise and vibratory pollution.

The Consell de Formentera asks islanders to communicate any indication that a large party is being organised to law enforcement officials. Owners of holiday rentals are also reminded that the Consell has prepared a renters' clause prohibiting nuisance activities, parties and over-occupancy and, if implemented, property owners have more legal security and leeway to act in the event one of these situations occurs. It is available on the Consell de Formentera website here.


1 August 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

Amid heat wave, Consell highlights fire prevention measures

The Formentera Offices of Interior and Environment have joined "This summer, keep fires out of the forest" (A l'estiu, ni 1 foc al bosc), a push by the Balearic Government to educate islanders about the period of forest fire risk from 1 May to 15 October.

Josep Marí, councillor of interior, described awareness and prevention measures as "particularly crucial the heat wave and extreme fire risk that we are currently experiencing". The Consell de Formentera wishes to remind islanders of five prevention measures:

Dispose of cigarette butts properly, even if they appear no longer lit.
In the car and on the street, too: cigarette butts belong in the trash.
Keep rubbish far from the forest
Waste such as glass can ignite and cause a forest fire. Dispose of waste properly.
Call 112 if you see a fire
This will quickly activate the related protocol and send response workers to the site.
Review burn authorisations
Due to extreme weather, burn authorisations may be cancelled. Check beforehand.
Turn off machinery if it sparks
When wildfire risk is high, a single spark is all it takes for certain tools to cause a fire.

Fire buffers

Lastly, Councillor Marí reminded islanders living in wooded areas that they are required to make and maintain a safety buffer around the perimeter of their home. This reduces the volume of flammable vegetation and, by breaking its vertical and horizontal continuity, makes it difficult for forest fires to spread. Remove the dry ground-covering layer, selectively clear shrubs, prune trees and, if necessary, remove tree trunks to reduce the amount of vegetation.

Not only is a fire buffer the responsible thing to do, it is a legal imperative set out in various regulations, including Article 77 ("Measures for safe and secure forests in urban-forest interface areas") of Balearic Agrarian Law 3/2019 of 31 January 2019.

21 July 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

cartell 2022 ni 1 foc al bosc A

Formentera activates action protocol following tortoise sighting

foto 2022vi tortugaLast night the Consell de Formentera activated the protocol for tortoise sightings as a Caretta caretta tortoise attempted to lay eggs on Platja Migjorn. Under the protocol and instructions from technicians at the Wildlife Recovery Consortium of the Balearic Islands (Consorci per a la Recuperació de la Fauna de les Illes Balears, COFIB), technical staff from the Formentera Office of Environment and Beach Lifeguard and Rescue Service cordoned off the area. This morning COFIB staff will visit the island to check if there are eggs in the nests which the tortoise built into the early morning.

At 9.30pm, an off-duty lifeguard called 112 after catching sight of the tortoise as it approached the area. Through the night, technicians from COFIB and Ses Salines Nature Reserve remained on hand to surveil and safeguard the site.

If spotted, the tortoise must be left alone. Passers-by must also refrain from turning on lights, filming or coming within 10 metres of the animal, and are asked to call 112 immediately if more are seen. Last summer one tortoise on our island was frightened away after an individual approached the animal and filmed it as it tried to nest.

21 June 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

With up to 83.1 kilos of glass recycled per inhabitant, Formentera boasts highest recovery rate in the Balearics

foto 2022vi ecovidrioIn 2021 the people of Formentera recycled up to 83.1 kg of glass per inhabitant, the highest recovery rate in the Balearic Islands according to data collected by Ecovidrio. Last year, with the region-wide total tally of 42,839 tonnes of recycled glass packaging waste, or 36.5 kg per capita, the Balearics are leading the nation, says Ecovidrio.

The Formentera Office of Environment backs Ecovidrio's Green Flags push to reward the local hospitality industry for recycling glass containers and joining the fight to stop climate change. Antoni Tur, councillor of environment, underscored the importance of "campaigns like this that help to raise awareness of recycling among the population and businesses". Tur pointed out that "the administrations must work along these lines to reduce waste generation and recycle as much as possible".

180 participating businesses

A total of 180 restaurants and bars on the island have already joined the initiative that aims to reward the island's dining establishments and sustainability activism in summer, particularly with respect to proper waste management. As part of the campaign, Ecovidrio will also launch the very first Balearic Barometer of Sustainable Hospitality, awarding the Balearic establishment most committed to the circular economy and protecting our environment.

23 June 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

100 schoolchildren dive in and learn about the importance of posidonia and the undersea environment

foto 2022 busseja amb posi BThis week and last, one hundred local primary school pupils participated "Diving with Posi", an initiative organised by the Vellmarí Association with the collaboration of the Formentera Offices of Education and Environment.

This activity includes an undersea workshop and a diving experience in the sea with goggles and fins. "The goal is to inspire children and young people and teach them the value of posidonia meadows and biodiversity in the Mediterranean", explained Cristina Ozores, director of marine education for the Vellmarí Association and educator with National Geographic.

For her part, Susana Labrador, Councillor of Education, praised the organisers' initiative "because now, in a totally practical way, participants discover the importance of taking care of our sea". In that connection, Antoni Tur, Councillor of Environment, said, "We must foster environmental awareness from an early age, so that the baseline is an eagerness to work towards a more sustainable world".

Pupils at CEIP El Pilar and CEIP Sant Ferran de ses Roques took part in the activity last week. Pupils from CEIP Mestre Lluís Andreu will get their turn to take the plunge Thursday and Friday (9-10 June). Participants receive instructions at a theory-driven workshop before going into the water, then, in groups and with diving instructors, biologists and environmental educators, they visit an area with shallow posidonia meadows where they can observe the seagrass and examples of biodiversity like pomfrets, the Mediterranean rainbow wrasse, amphibians and starfish up close.

The Vellmarí Association published a book entitled Bussejant amb na Posi which has been distributed in schools in years past. This year it will be made available in a digital format. Participating schoolchildren will also receive a souvenir poster.


7 June 2022
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

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