News

Formentera's farmers' market gets new look, more sales outlets

Tuesday, 13 June 2017 11:50

The Formentera Council's Office of Rural Affairs has announced a remodel of the island's farmers' market, the so-called Mercat Pagès. Changes will include wood furniture crafted by the growers themselves, new display cases and boxes to transport and store merchandise.

The number of vendors has also gone up—from two to three locally-based fruit and vegetable farmers. Plus, now for the first time, one grower offers organically-grown local fruit and vegetables. Additionally, signage in the building has been harmonised and prices are advertised prominently in an attempt to improve the experience of shoppers.

On a visit to the market, rural affairs councillor Bartomeu Escandell cheered what he called “high-quality fruit and vegetables” and the market's “increasingly important role on Formentera”. He also held it up as “a founding pillar” of the Council's bid to reactivate the Formentera countryside. The Mercat Pagès is located at Centre Antoni Tur “Gabrielet” in Sant Francesc and opens Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 1.30pm.

Farmers' Co-operative retail outlet
The Farmers' Co-operative (Cooperativa del Camp) opened its members' sales location today with an inventory including fertilisers, grains, plant-protection products, animal feed, field tools and farming equipment. That location, at the Co-op's warehouse space in the Sant Francesc industrial park, opens Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 1.00am and 5.00 to 7.30pm.

Formentera bemoans delayed start of surveillance and help service for anchoring ships

Monday, 12 June 2017 14:10

The Formentera Council has called on the Palma administration's ministry of environment for an immediate rollout of a help and advisory service for crews of ships anchoring in the Ses Salines natural park, Es Caló and Cala Saona.

Formentera's head of environment, Daisee Aguilera, described this weekend's monitoring of more than 400 watercraft anchored across a handful of areas. A summary:
Between Pas des Trucadors (Ses Illetes) and La Savina port, roughly 250 boats were anchored.
Espalmador buoy field was at full capacity (57 boats on 57 buoys).
Es Caló de s'Oli was at capacity as well (15 boats).
Some 84 ships dropped anchor at Cala Saona while another seven were anchored at Es Caló.

Councillor Aguilera said the Council's call for a speedy activation of surveillance services was “absolutely justified” in view of “the sheer number of ships that are visiting the island”. She went on to say that this weekend, in both Ses Salines and Cala Saona, several ships were spotted dropping anchor on posidonia meadows.

While there is currently active surveillance of all watercraft parked across the buoy field, any ships that anchor away from the field in the rest of Ses Salines—as well as Es Caló and Cala Saona—remain unsupervised. The Council is eager to see the rollout of the anchoring assistance and advisory service, which commands 14 surveillance boats whose crews are responsible for safeguarding the UNESCO-recognised plant. As Aguilera summed up, “ratcheting up the surveillance doesn't do any good if it comes too late”.

Nevertheless, the councillor's message for rule-abiding visitors to Formentera's shores was one of thanks. “With each passing year, people—and ship captains—become more sensitive to our cause and more inclined to heed the ban on anchoring on posidonia meadows”.

Formentera seeks candidates for 24 support positions in summer services

Friday, 09 June 2017 16:45

Citing expanded summer services on the island, the Formentera Council has announced it will bring in 24 additional staff in July, August and September. Applicants are invited to visit the job seekers' office in Sant Francesc (C/ Pla de Rei, 120-122), the SOIB (Servei d'Ocupació de les Illes Balears), to identify which position suits them best and apply.

Reinforcement personnel are required for the following positions: summer school youth workers (6), lifeguards (3), tech support for tourist information office (2), administrative assistants (4), parking attendants (4), toe truck driver, brigade workers (2), sport support staff and cleaning staff.

To consult details about each position, telephone 971211087, extension 3152, or send an email to rrhh@conselldeformentera.cat.

Efforts to tackle illegal itinerant selling

Monday, 12 June 2017 13:55

In a joint operation between Formentera local police and the island's Guardia Civil forces, law enforcement agents executed an operation that led to eight charges of itinerant vending. Among the clothes, costume jewellery and fruit confiscated by officers were 46 pairs of French knickers, 23 dresses, 107 coconuts, 15 pineapples, 31 plastic containers of fruit and 11 bracelets.

For Bartomeu Escandell, chief of the president's office as well as head of the local police, the importance of rooting out itinerant peddling stems from the damage such unfair competition does to local businesses. “Illegal activity,” he said, “of the sort carried out by waterfront vendors undercuts the image of tranquility we want our visitors to be able to enjoy”. Escandell pledged the Council would continue to orchestrate efforts to tackle the practice.

School of music and dance hosts year-end festival

Friday, 09 June 2017 12:47

The Formentera Council's centre for music and dance will hold its eighteenth “Festival de música i dansa” this Saturday, June 10. At 8.30pm in the municipal cinema, 130 students of dance, instruments, traditional music, band and polyphonic choir will offer audiences a taste of their work in 2016-2017.