In 2025, 115 small boats were sent for recycling. There were 401 boats in all; the Spanish Government's delegation in the Balearics picked up the tab for the costs of disposal of boats reported to it by town halls, the regional government's PortsIB authority or the state Balearic Ports Authority.
Kiko Villalonga, the manager of PortsIB, says 56 boats were taken from its ports. "When a migrant boat arrives and we are notified, it is removed within a month and taken to Son Tous (in Palma)." For the delegation to cover the cost, a certificate of abandonment is required for the boat, confirming that it is not subject to any legal proceedings, that it was because of illegal immigration, and that photographs of the engine and the boat are attached.
Waste management company Adalmo has the contract. Once at its facility, the boat is inspected to ensure it is free of any contamination. The iron part of the engine is separated from the fibreglass. The fibreglass is then shredded and incinerated. Meanwhile, the iron and other metals inside the engine are recycled. "We have to get rid of everything; engines cannot be reused or resold, although not all the boats we receive have an engine," explains Josep Cifre, Adalmo's environment director.
PortsIB sometimes gives boats and engines to educational centres such as the Clara Hammerl Vocational Training Institute in Pollença to be used for students' practical exercises.
According to the delegation, there was a 15% increase in the number of boats last year. More arrived in Cabrera than anywhere else - over a quarter. The rate of arrivals has led the delegation to renew Adalmo's contract - it is worth over half a million euros per annum.