The Balearic Port Authority (APB) has received a barrage of complaints from Palma residents about the foghorn that sounded early this morning, from 04.00 to 08.00 hours, and has said that they will try to solve the problem by for the moment changing the siren from automatic to a manual mode and directing the sound out to sea.
According to APB sources the old siren located on the Dique del Oeste was outdated and had to be replaced by a new “more modern one with better features”.
The latter is activated automatically when it detects an amount of fog stipulated by the Port of Palma’s safety conditions as a maximum for sailing.
The system had been in operation for a month, but there had not yet been any fog until last night, when it was switched on.
“It has been making a different noise to the previous one and now it is much sharper and we have received complaints”, acknowledged the APB.
In view of this situation, they have decided to disconnect the automatic start-up of the siren in order to have better manual control.
They are also looking into ways of directing the sound towards the sea, as is done, for example, with the light from the lighthouses.
“Currently the loudspeaker covers 360 degrees and this is not necessary”, the Port Authority clarified, insisting that the anti-fog system has to work but “without disturbing the neighbours”.