As the counterpoint to the Blue Flags, which celebrate the most attractive and sustainable beaches, the Black Flags highlight sections of the coastline that are particularly threatened or degraded. This year, Ecologists in Action identified 48 negative indicators after surveying 8,000 kilometers of shoreline and presenting the findings in a detailed 200-page report.
Poor wastewater treatment, urban overcrowding, litter accumulation, dredging or port expansion, coastal erosion, and biodiversity loss are cited as the main drivers behind this year’s Black Flag designations.
One notable example is a flag awarded to a beach in Nerja, Malaga, due to its impact on marine biodiversity from ingredients in beachgoers’ sunscreens. Ecologists in Action notes that these creams contain substances that become significant pollutants in marine waters.
Endocrine-disrupting compounds and other chemicals from chemical sunscreens can enter seas, rivers, and lakes every time a person applies a lotion before swimming, the organization explains. The combined effect of many swimmers multiplies the scale of pollution in ways that are hard to visualize.
Inside Murcia, Portmán Bay and Mar Menor are highlighted once again. In Mar Menor, mismanagement and the limited regulation of key economic sectors, especially agribusiness and intensive livestock farming, are pushing the ecosystem to the edge of its resilience.
The report notes that in 2021 the Spanish Institute of Oceanography acknowledged that the lagoon ecosystem had lost its capacity to self-regulate, so any excess nutrient input can have serious consequences. Yet, the same document also emphasizes that reclaiming a substantial portion of Mar Menor remains possible if urgently needed, effective actions are adopted.
Although there are hopeful signs, Ecologists in Action argues that real progress still requires substantial actions at the source to reduce pollution and prevent its spread into the future. In the case of Portmán Bay and the Sierra Minera, the organization sees these sites as a stark reflection of institutional and societal failure.
Decades of allowing environmental damage from mining have left Sierra Minera described as a burnt landscape where a private company profits from resource extraction at the expense of the environment, producing toxic waste that cannot be easily contained. The result is a future shadowed by landscapes devoid of vitality and laden with pollution.
In the Valencian Community, the Black Flag was awarded for the Colossus Project planned for Cala Lanuza and Cala Baeza, due to a humid area in Calp (Alicante) and the exposure of its waters to pollution. In Valencia, macrofestivals threaten the dunes of Tavernes de la Valldigna beach, a site of significant environmental value. The Pinedo wastewater treatment plant also received the designation, and in Castelló, Tirador beach (Vinaròs) and Les Fonts beach (Alcalá de Xivert) were flagged as well.
Inside Galicia, the Black Flag was given to the Metropolitan Municipality for what was described as ecologically disrespectful management of the municipality’s beaches, along with the Foz Estuary in Nigrán. The dredging of sediments in the O Burgo estuary in Culleredo and the San Fix mines in Lousame were condemned as part of these concerns.
In the Balearic Islands, two flags were raised in Mallorca: Porto Colom for water pollution and Port d’Alcúdia for coastal mismanagement. In Asturias, environmentalists point to the industrial sanitation at the Xixón regasification plant and the Avilés estuary as having a strong coastal impact.
In the Canary Islands, Charco de la Araña Beach in Tenerife and Waikiki Beach (La Goleta) in Fuerteventura, along with Acuicultura Piscifactorías del Atlántico in Yaiza (Lanzarote), were marked with Black Flags. In Catalonia, Barcelona earned a flag for poor environmental management at the city airport and another for the port, linked to the pollution associated with a major cruise ship facility. Trabucador beach in Sant Carles de la Ràpita (Tarragona) and Pineda d’en Gori (Palamós) were also included.
But the report also notes progress. A new sewage treatment plant was commissioned in Barbate (Cádiz), discharge improvements were completed in Roquetas de Mar (Almería), and sewage treatment plant expansion projects are underway.
For the full list, Ecologistas en Acción presents a complete documentation in a dedicated report. The organization continues to advocate urgent, tangible steps to curb pollution at its source and to protect coastal ecosystems for future generations.
Notes accompany the findings to clarify methodology and specific regional considerations in the assessment process. The watchdog intends to keep the spotlight on vulnerable coastal areas, urging policymakers, industry, and communities to act with urgency and accountability.
{Citations: Ecologists in Action annual report on Black Flags and regional case studies; Spanish Institute of Oceanography 2021 findings on Mar Menor; regional environmental groups and local government updates.}