The draft for a law specific to the nature park Es Trenc-Salobrar de Campos has been presented by the regional environment minister, Vicenç Vidal. It is now open to public consultation and it envisages regulations for moorings, chiringuito beach-bars and car parking. The government believes that there should be a maximum of 1,500 parking places.
Vidal says that the law will increase management of an area that has suffered "degradation". The drafting is due to be approved at the start of May, after which it will be forwarded for parliamentary processing.
In a press conference to explain the law, Vidal yesterday emphasised the need to reconcile tourism with environmental protection. As for the degradation, he attributed this to the "massive" influx of users as well as to uncontrolled access, inadequate beach cleaning and a failure of management of the area.
Caterina Amengual, the director-general for natural areas and biodiversity, explained that there has been significant regression of the coastline as a consequence of the destruction of dunes and changes in currents because of the construction of marinas. She also said that bunkers which had been covered by sand were now exposed.
As for car parking, Vidal said that the issue was not the number of parking places but the number of users there can be for the quality of the beach. Studies, he added, point to 1,500 parking places, although there are currently some 2,000.
Given that this is a nature park, Vidal went on, there has to be regulation of moorings, just as the chiringuitos needed to be adjusted in line with nature park regulation. Asked if the law would be compatible with there being chiringuitos and other facilities, he said that they would need to be compatible with the wording of the regulations. There have to be measures to allow certain facilities, he noted, but not if they affect conservation.