Ses Salines, Santanyi and Campos are the municipalities in Mallorca most affected by the arrival of small boats. The former mayor of Ses Salines, now the councillor for urban planning, Joan Rodríguez, explains that five or six years ago the boats weren't much of a problem. "There were one-off incidents. Now it's almost a daily occurrence, and more resources are needed to address the situation."
He has repeatedly called for greater effort by the Spanish Government's delegation in the Balearics. "It's clear that this is a tragedy and that there are mafias making a fortune out of these people's lives, but there's zero management here, and we need resources." When a boat is left on a beach, the town hall is responsible for removing it. "We don't just remove the boat, but we also clean up all the debris, clothing, bags, cans ... ."
Municipal workers clean up the area, and then a crane - either municipal or rented - takes the boat to the Ses Salines green point. Last Friday, there were nine boats waiting for the delegation to order their removal by a specialised company. "All boats must be photographed and numbered," Rodríguez adds. "We don't have a quantification of the hours we spend on all this or the expenses in renting trucks or cranes, but they are incalculable."
It's a similar situation in Santanyi. At the green point there are currently 12 boats waiting to be removed in addition to another four stranded on the rocks of Cap Salines. Councillor Joan Gaspar echoes what Rodríguez has to say and adds his concern about the environmental impact.
"As well as the waste from the fibreglass boats, a polluting element, we are also watchful in case there are oil spills or abandoned engines." The boats, he adds, create a "negative image of the municipality".
The mayor of Campos, Xisca Porquer, says the town hall hires a company to remove the boats from the beaches and store them in a municipal warehouse. "The delegation then comes to collect them, but we are the ones first affected."