New Balearic coastline surveillance vigilance adds a 22 boats fleet

President from the Balearic Islands Government, Margalida Prohens, has presented the new surveillance, inspection and control service of the balearic coastline, coinciding with the arrival of two first boats of the device. She has been accompanied by Tourism, Culture and Sports councilor, Jaume Bauzá; general director of Ports and Maritime Transport, Antoni Mercant, and PortsIB manager, Francisco Villalonga.

On one side, ten ships will be destined to surveillance, inspection and control works in coastal waters of all the islands. These units will focus their efforts especially in the following of the nautical and recreational field, and will operate regarding the necessities of every area to guarantee efficient coverage. On first instance, the will be assigned to the ports of Andratx, Sóller, Pollença, Cala Rajada, Porto Cristo and Colònia de Sant Jordi (Mallorca); Ciutadella and Mahón (Menorca); Sant Antoni de Portmany and Ibiza (Ibiza and Formentera). However, they will be able to operate from any other sport, according to the necessities of the service.

Currently, two units have already arrived in Mallorca. One of them will soon be transferred to Menorca, while the third one, expected next week, will be destined to Ibiza. Every unity will be operated by a skipper of the TRAGSATEC public company and an habilitated inspector, with capacity to draw up records in exercise of their control functions of the maritime public dominion.

Service is completed with twelve additional ships destined to PortsIB direct management ports. These units will lend support to intern operations and will agilize the response to operative necessities of the ports, guaranteeing a more efficient and coordinated management. 

To guarantee its efficiency, the Government Council approved fifteen news place for PortsIB last Friday, August 1st, amongst which eight places of surveillance inspector are included (four for Mallorca, two for Menorca and two for Ibiza and Formentera), as well as a place of service boss, who will coordinate all the work from the new control centre.

This new control centre, which will enter into work soon, will be the core of operative coordination of all the device and will centralize services such as the moorings reservations management, the buoy camps supervision and cleaning service of the coastline. It will be active every day of the week, from 9:00 a.m. to 8 p.m., and will have open communication channels to attend doubts and incidences of the citizenship and other administrations.

The device also includes a pilot test with a drone, which will work 10 hours a day for a month to support the coastline surveillance works, nautical rental control, beaches tracking and buoy camps supervision.

Andratx’s mayoress, Club Náutico de Andratx representatives, as well as members of the Civil Guard, Maritime Rescue and Maritime Captaincy went to the presentation ceremony.

With this initiative, the Government of the Balearic Islands gives one more step in the coastline protection, maritime security and coliving of uses in the coastal environment.