Jet skis, yes or no? The debate returns to the coast of Llucmajor

Jet skis, yes or no. Just three months ago we bid farewell to summer, but the non-ending debate regarding jet skis regulation is on the table once again.

During the 2024 summer season it was the town hall of Calvià who gave a step forwards and took measures to avoid turning the municipality into a jet skis circuit, and now it is the Directorate General of Coasts who must decide what to do with the proposal presented by the company Life & Sea Mallorca, who have asked the renovation of the coast of El Arenal (Llucmajor), a project similar to a previous concession since 2023 until this same year.

The presented request, that can bew reviewed in the Directorate General of Coasts and that is in these moments in public information pahse, already has some critics such as the political group Més per Llucmajor who had not doubted in announcing publicly that they will present allegations to stop the project and has started a campign against this kind of actions affirming that "S’Arenal is not a theme park”.

The circuit, of sports and recreational nature, will consist in renovating a square space, of about 150 meters for every side and delimited by four buoys, upon which, at the start, there could be a total of 8 jet skis, in addition, alongside this circuit there would be a floating platform where jet skis would rest when they are not in use. This way, the entry and departure traffic would be delimited from the facilities of the Club Nàutic S’Arenal, the closest infrastructure to the location.

According to the technical record, the project takes a 22.500 m² surface, and has been designed to lessen the environmental impact in, following the criteria demanded by the General Coast Law and the compatibility law with Marine Strategies. The buoys as well as the platform would moore exclusivelyon sandy bottoms, far from posidonia oceanica meadows, Red Natura 2000 spcaes and other special environmental protection areas.

Amongst the expected measures to guarantee the protection of the marine environment, the project takes into account the daily verfication of the mooring sports to ensure the absence of protected species, such as the Pinna nobilis (nacra). If attached moorings are used, their intallation will be done under professional subaquatic supervision, with the goal of avoiding any impact on sensitive habitats. In addition, the explicit prohibition of doing maintenance or refuel tasks of the jet skits in the circuit area is established, and it includes the commitment of collaborating with competente authorities in the withdrawal of floating wate, if necessary.

The facility, which would be actuve from March 1st to November 30th, and would be completely dismantled out of season, has a budget of execution of the material of 2.682 euros (TAX included), while with the suggested canon by the occupation of the space is of 5.325,33 yearly euros with no TAX.