The Balearic government is proposing in its draft Coastal Law that the maximum speed of boats over 12 metres in length and jet skis in a one-mile coastal strip should be 18.5 kilometres per hour (10 knots). This is included in the text that the Coastal Ministry will submit for public consultation, according to the head of the department, Juan Manuel Lafuente, who stressed that the speed restriction on the coast aims to make coastal waters “calmer” and safer and to reduce pollution.
The draft bill for the Integral Planning and Management of the Coast, the official name of the law, also includes measures to protect traditional coastal heritage sites through insular registers in which beach bars can be included as long as the technicians guarantee their traditional status and uniqueness, Lafuente said.
This summer, Calvia town hall rejected the plan for a jet ski circuit in Magalluf and Cala Vinyes. An “unfavourable report” has been sent to the Balearic government’s ministry for the sea, and it is expected that the ministry will rubber stamp this. The controversial project was harshly criticised by the opposition PSOE at the last council meeting, while the environmentalists GOB attacked the plan because of its environmental and acoustic impact.
Residents in the area launched a petition against the circuit, which envisaged covering an area of 178,000 square metres of sea. Calvia’s tourism councillor, Elisa Monserrat, said: “Turning the beaches of Calvia into a jet ski circuit does not fit in at all with the model of sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism that we want for our municipality. We have 15 Q flags for Quality and we are committed to responsible, quiet leisure, attractive to families and young couples.”