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Save Posidonia Project, far-reaching push to conserve sea grass prairies

presentacio save posidonia projectFormentera Council president Jaume Ferrer was joined at noon today in the plenary hall of the administration's central offices by Alejandra Ferrer and Daisee Aguilera, tourism and environment councillors, respectively, to unveil Save Posidonia Project. With the councillors were CiF vice-president Susana Labrador, tourism advisory board head Carlos Bernús, and Pep Mayans and Juanma Costa, chairs of Formentera's associations of small and medium-sized businesses and hotels.

The president linked the 2017 launch to world sustainable tourism year and called the project “an innovative effort to promote sustainable tourism and deploy a plan to save our posidonia prairie”. Ferrer asserted the project would bear the imprint of all corners of the Council and the local tourism sector as well. “Our aim is to conserve not just posidonia,” he said, “but with it our beaches, landscapes, sea and way of life”.

1 euro per m2 of sea grass
The tourism councillor, meanwhile, portrayed it thus: “Save Posidonia Project will make it easier for us to explain our vision for the island to people from beyond our shores, not to mention the respect for the environment that we expect of the tourists who visit”. For one euro per square metre, businesses and private citizens can visit saveposidoniaproject.org or use the associated app to sponsor any one of the 76,500 hectares of posidonia around Formentera. They can also take part in the campaign by participating in local events like the island's half marathon or Formentera Fotogràfica.

Conservation projects
Money raised will go towards new posidonia conservation initiatives, said environment councillor Daisee Aguilera, who also took the opportunity to explain the sea grass' particular importance for Formentera. Plus, Aguilera charted a course towards the imminent creation of a body of international, national and local experts to provide guidance on the conservation projects afoot, campaigns which will be backed by prominent non-profit groups.

As summer approaches, Save Posidonia Project merchandise will be available at participating stores and hotels, just one of many other features geared towards bolstering the campaign's visibility. The overarching aim, underscored Aguilera, is to protect the biggest and most ancient organism on the planet and one that Unesco declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.