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Areas Urbanism & territory, Tourism and Economic activities Environment Sustainability at core of new Save Posidonia Project initiative

Sustainability at core of new Save Posidonia Project initiative

foto-spp gen-gob1Alejandra Ferrer, Antonio J Sanz and Josep Marí—the president/tourism councillor, environment councillor and primary sector councillor, respectively, of the Consell de Formentera—led today's unveiling of the first-ever push for scientist volunteers. Piloted by nature advocacy group GEN-GOB, the effort is one of two (the other is IMEDEA's Antroposi) that, in 2017, Save Posidonia Project's evaluating committee elected to fund for a two-year run.

President Ferrer traced SPP's origins to the determination within the Consell to promote sustainable tourism and build funding to preserve Posidonia oceanica and educate residents and tourists about the effort. Ferrer pointed out that the project would offer “clearer data about the current state of preservation of this crucial local plant”.

Geolocating coastal impact
The environmental group's €48,836 study involves pinpointing the spots where the seagrass suffers the most intense impact, not to mention gauging the health of posidonia meadows where boats anchor. GEN-GOB's activities coordinator, Marià Marí, pointed out that “one of the things we'll be doing is training students of marine science to study, order and superintend underwater habitats on Formentera's coastline”.

The presentation took place at la Savina port alongside the sailboat Ryujin (El Drac de la Mar). There, from 24 July to 5 August, volunteers from Albacete, Alacant, Murcia, Madrid and Cádiz are on hand to learn the theory and practical aspects of the scientific methodology used by the GEN-GOB marine department to record and evaluate the ecological health of seagrass meadows, impact of mooring watercraft, and other possible strain on the coast.

Inter-guild partnerships
SOLDECOCOS (a shortening of “Society for the Development of Coastal Communities”) is also collaborating in the project by offering use of its boat. The organisation's strategic director, Jorge Sáez, seized the opportunity to present the president of the local fisherman's guild, Iván Pérez, with gifts to initiate a cooperative partnership with a federation of similar guilds in Cádiz.

As a symbol of the will to work together between communities of the Mediterranean Basin, the Cádiz town council presented President Ferrer with salt from the Cádiz salterns and a bottle of virgin olive oil.


1 August 2019
Communication department
Consell de Formentera

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Formentera neta, naturalmet gràcies a valtros

Xarxa Natura de les Illes Balears

Punt d'Informació Ambiental

Balears Life Posidonia

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