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ARCHIVED - Cartagena earmarks 2.4 million euros for the maintenance and cleaning of the coastline
Some 525 tonnes of biomass has already been removed from Cartagena beaches but the threat needs “constant review”
The Cartagena City Council has announced an investment of 2.4 million euros over the next three years to clean up the 80 kilometres of coastline between Isla Plana and La Manga, which will primarily involve removing biomass from the beaches and the maintenance and replacement of coastal facilities and furniture.
The new contract will allocate 800,000 euros each year and the advantage of this system, according to the mayor, is that it “guarantees the work that is needed where it is needed and when it is needed. This occurs because the service is on demand, which allows us to gauge the size of the team, adjusting it to the needs that arise at all times based on biomass production.”
15 staff members will be stationed on the beaches permanently to take care of day-to-day maintenance and chip in with the clearing of biomass when necessary. So far this year, 525 tonnes has already been removed from Cartagena’s beaches, which prevents the algae from decomposing and producing harmful nitrogen, but “a constant review is essential,” according to Ms Arroyo.
"Specifically, we have prevented the entry into the Mar Menor of 11 tons of nitrogen and more than 360 kilos of phosphorus", she added.
Francisca Marin, a local resident, has noticed a vast improvement on Punta Brava beach compared to last year, and the transformation has been largely down to fishermen removing the biomass regularly.
“Every day they come to clean and remove a lot of biomass and also, the water is much better,” she concluded.
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Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
