The Town Hall, for yet another year, has put into action the plan for vigilance, warning and removal of jellyfish. This makes Calvià the only municipality in the Balearics with its own procedure to combat them
Calvià Town Hall, for yet another year, has put into action the plan for vigilance, warning and removal of jellyfish. This makes Calvià the only municipality in the Balearics with its own procedure to combat them.
The service companies of the beaches of the municipality will be responsible for removing the jellyfish found at the water's edge and within the first 5 metres of water. The plan, drawn up in the municipal office "Calvià por el Clima" (Calvià for the environment), has had invaluable assistance from the principal specialist in the subject, and member of the "Instituto Ciencias del Mar" (Institute of Maritime Science) of Barcelona, Josep María Gili. The plan begins with a detection protocol: Civil Protection vessels keep watch over the open sea areas with a view to spotting shoals of jellyfish and preventing them reaching the coast. Once detected, the Ministry of the Environment's collection vessels are advised so they can arrange to remove them.
If the jellyfish manage to reach the shores of any of the beaches, then the beach service companies will be responsible for their removal. The last step of the plan is the protocol for elimination, which consists in installing fresh water deposits where they are left for 48 hours, in the sun, so they eject their poison and die. These deposits can then be emptied into the normal drainage system as the poison has been diluted in the water. The jellyfish are then removed and harmlessly disposed of as organic waste.
The municipal office of "Calvià por el clima" (Calvià for the environment), which is managed by Jorge Campos, has pointed out that this summer there will probably be no plagues or large shoals of jellyfish on the Calvià beaches, due to the low salt levels of the sea water as a result of the heavy and frequent rainfall sustained throughout the year. This acts as a barrier against this type of creature. Beach users who wish to know in advance about the possible presence of jellyfish on a particular beach will find all the up-to-date information, as of next week, on www.calviasinmedusas.com.