Qualified as “Ecologists in Action”waste of public money“The Spanish Government’s plan to soften the process of regression (sand loss) on the Valencia Community beaches. The group’s spokesman, Carlos Arribas, said “the damage has already been done” and the process “Irreversible“What needs to be done is to act with houses threatened by the sea right now,” he adds.
“mega projectMinistry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Struggle, General Directorate of Coast and Sea, deep water sand mining In front of Cullera, some € 1,147 millionnow made available to the public, 12.4 million cubic meters of sand deposits on 16 beaches or coastlines in Valencia and AlicanteFrom Sagunto to Pilar de la Horadada, some 220 kilometers from the landing pointIt received critical acclaim from Ecologistas en Acción.
Also, the projected Extraction of an additional 54 million cubic meters in other “not specified” regeneration activitiesCondemns the NGO who thinks that the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) of October 2013 is positive for a project similar to the current project processed in 2010 “expired and not validaccording to environmental regulations.
The project would beserious and critical environmental impacts on grasslands oceanic posidonia and the fishing resources of the Valencian coastIn Action According to Ecologists.
Impact on fisheries resources
‘Project to extract sand from the deep waters of Valencia and transport it to feed the beaches’ and an environmental impact study. public information Since 29 July, it has been more than six years before that project was realized, given that the DIA of the same project, which was processed in 2010 and approved in 2013, is out of date according to the Environmental Assessment Act.
The new project, unlike the previous one, involves transporting the extracted sand to 16 beaches where it is intended to be regenerated, and changes the extraction method. Pitcher overflow is now allowed at the draw point to remove penalties. In other words, dispersal of penalties will occur at the point of landing and to a lesser extent on the beaches.
“This mega project will have very significant environmental impacts.especially in protected seagrass meadows oceanic posidonia “There are Port and Mojón beaches in Pilar de la Horadada, San Juan beach in Alicante, Marineta Casiana beach in Dénia, and along the coastline between Dénia port and Girona river,” says ecologist Carlos Arribas.
Also that project will affect fisheries resources A total of 66.4 million cubic meters of sand will be mined around the extraction area (the deposit has an area of 26 square kilometers from the Cullera coast), since there will be a surface between the fines accumulation area. Between 165 and 230 square kilometers, the water is cloudy, causing shoals of fish to leave the area.
“Extreme megaproject”
There are three fishing ports (València, Cullera and Sagunto) in the area, and there are Fisheries Protected Area 3 Puerto Sagunto-Cabo Cullera, declared by the Consell decree in 1997. Environmental Impact Study (EIA) recognizes impact on three fishing sites90% of it affects the fishing area of Les Maricueces.
“Sand mining includes: destruction of marine habitat and extinction of all benthic organisms (mainly polychaetes and mollusks, which are food sources for fish)”, condemns Arribas.
“The project will impact seven protected marine natural areas of the Natura 2000 Network, such as La Albufera, Cabo Roig, Montgó, Cap del Horta, L’Almadrava, Marina Alta and the submerged coastline of the Murcia Region. La Albufera’s fine plume is more than 2 kilometers from space. It can reach a short distance,” he adds.
“The absurdity of this extreme megaproject is stated in the distances where the sand removed from the bed is expected to be transported.With a transport cost of 29 euros each in the latter case, which will reach 150 kilometers in the southern part of the San Juan beach in the city of Alicante and 220 kilometers in the beaches of Pilar de la Horadada. cubic meters has been moved.
In Action for Ecologists spending around 1,150m euros on this project represents a “total waste of resources”“Considering the social, economic crisis and the climatic emergency that we are experiencing, and the fact that the sand accumulated on the renewed beaches is of short duration and will undoubtedly return to the sea after the next sea storms”.