Black Flags for the bays of Portmany and Fornells due to pollution and mismanagement

Ecologistas en Acción presented its “Black Flags 2025” report on Tuesday, June 17th, highlighting the most serious environmental issues along the Spanish coastline. In this report, the Bay of Portmany received a black flag for pollution, while Fornells was flagged for mismanagement.

In the case of Ibiza’s coastal area, the environmental group identified pollution from sewage discharges, undersized wastewater treatment infrastructure, and a deteriorated outfall pipeline, all contributing to poor bathing water quality.

The organization emphasized that over the past 25 years, the population of Sant Antoni de Portmany has doubled, and there is no available data on the potential population peak during the summer tourist season.

They reported that the Bay of Portmany suffers “recurrent episodes” of sewage spills, due to an inadequate sanitation network. Approximately 75% of the outfall system has been repaired, coinciding with the end of its expected service life this year.

“The pipeline is 1,400 meters long and discharges 80% treated effluents. Moreover, during heavy rains, the treatment systems are overwhelmed, causing untreated flows to reach the sea,” they stressed.

They criticized the Sant Antoni Town Hall for not even closing beaches when these spills occur, posing a “clear health risk” to beachgoers.

As a solution, the group proposed urgent upgrades to the treatment system and sanitation network, scaled appropriately to the serviced population and with sufficient capacity. They also suggested factoring in residential carrying capacity, which “should perhaps be considered in the equation.”

Regarding the Bay of Fornells, they highlighted its unique features in the Spanish Mediterranean, being shallow and sheltered, a rare combination that supports significant habitats like Posidonia oceanica, Cystoseira barbata (a brown algae found only in Fornells and Cala Teulera), and Cymodocea nodosa. It also serves as a nursery for various fish species.

However, the environmental group warned that the expansion of Fornells' port breakwater and the installation of five new floating docks constitute an “inconceivable assault on a unique inlet.”

They noted that this adds pressure to an already “fragile” ecosystem through diffuse pollution and altered currents, calling it “clearly senseless.”

They further criticized decades of coastal development that have destroyed unique ecosystems in shallow, protected bays by converting them into marinas, saying that Fornells had, until now, resisted this trend.

Additionally, they detected 70 illegal moorings and widespread uncontrolled anchoring, despite there being a surveillance service, although it does not operate at night.

The port is managed by Ports IB, while the rest of the water area falls under the Coastal Authority. They claimed that “especially serious circumstances” exist, such as non-compliance with compensatory measures tied to the port’s redevelopment.

The shallow area near the shore has not been marked off, and installing ecological buoys in nearby coves or managing anchoring zones does not appear to be a priority for the relevant authorities.

To address these issues, the group demanded “strict enforcement” of the conditions that allowed the docks’ approval, although they question the appropriateness of installing them in such a “high ecological value” area, even if only temporarily.

They noted that environmental clauses required Ports IB to fund the installation of 55 buoys outside the Bay of Fornells (worth just over €54,000), define and manage permitted anchoring zones, and provide daily anchoring surveillance during the summer.

“In this regard, it is unacceptable for the Posidonia Committee to question the necessity of these installations or to even consider diverting the funds to other purposes,” they concluded.