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Council requests control of watercraft carrying out trips between Pitiüses

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As the tourist season gets under way, boats making trips to Formentera are in no short supply, and with an end to anticipating potential disputes, the Formentera Office of Tourism has issued a letter to the Direcció General de Ports i Aeroports, to Capitania Marítima (Maritime Authority) and to the Autoritat Portuària (Port Authority) to ensure that the vessels in question not violate standards of unfair competition with regard to regular boat service already existing between Formentera-Eivissa.

The Formentera Island Council is aware of the existence of certain companies that provide regular transport service without the required authorisations and permits. In one such case, a company has even been conceded berthing by the Port Authority for regular transport service.

The inspections pertinent to the solution of these problems are the responsibility of the relevant authorities. Given the fact that the companies in question have failed to operate according to the norms established within the Balearic Islands for regular transport service, the issue has become a matter of great concern for the Council.

The companies in question only offer service in summer. The Llei de transport marítim (Maritime Transport Law), however, establishes that such companies must operate 12 months a year. It is significant to note that, moreover, the kinds of vessels employed by these companies are not apt for navigation between October and April nor do many of them have sufficient lifevests for all passengers. Another common infraction is an excess of established maximum capacity.

In view of the fact that these companies defy standards of unfair competition with respect to the regular Eivissa-Formentera transport companies, that regular transport companies are obliged by the strict guidelines established by the Balearic Islands Maritime Transport Law to operate year-round, the Council considers that action must be taken. Given the extremely important nature of maritime transport on our island – being the only means available on to or off of Formentera – and in light of the potential that the offending companies have to negatively effect our island's tourist image, the Council of Formentera requests that the situation with these companies be brought into regularisation.