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Over the last 12 months, expert technicians have been studying the best ways to eliminate the sludge caused by a build-up of algae on the shores of the Mar Menor, and now the consultants have come up with a six-point plan to remove the muddy deposits from the southern beaches. The project will initially focus on Estrella de Mar, Los Urrutias, Los Nietos and Punta Brava, last for eight months and cost in the region of one million euros.

 

This plan was presented by Cartagena mayor Noelia Arroyo on Tuesday August 1, who shared the positive news that the amount of sludge on these southern shores has been reduced by 40% over the last two years. This is largely thanks to the team of up to 100 people who work daily to remove biomass from the beaches with an investment of 11 million euros, a commitment that will be maintained in the coming years.

 

Going forward, the first step is to launch two pilot projects on Estrella de Mar beach to test novel methods of removing the sludge.

 

Arroyo explained that “the next steps are, first of all, to obtain permission to do the pilot test. We estimate that this test will cost us around €70,000, which we are already looking for in order to carry it out this winter, which is the time of year in which the risk of impact on the environment is reduced to a minimum. At the same time, we will manage the approval of the environmental impact study, which is a longer process. Once approved, we will tender the execution of the sludge removal project which, as I have said, is valued at just over 1 million euros.”

 

The mayor added that she will ask the Ministry of Ecological Transition to finance this operation since the removal of mud and sludge forms part of the priority objectives initially set by the ministry itself in the Plan for the Protection of the Coast.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena