Anti-erosion measures at Boca de l'Estany dunes in La Savina

In the coming week the Formentera Council will implement coastal and dune protection measures at La Boca de l'Estany – an area located at the eastern edge of l'Estany des Peix in the town of La Savina.

This swath of land is currently employed for overflow parking, which in turn implies serious degradation to the immediate surroundings. It is also an area that is guaranteed protection under the Xarxa Natura 2000 plan.

This February in La Savina a new plan to regulate parking is set to take effect. It is hoped that the entry in rigour of the new parking scheme will coincide with an abandonment of the heretofore common practise of using the protected area for overflow parking.

To assure these changes take place, the Council's plan – which carries a price tag of €3,276 and has already been green-lighted by the Balearic coastal demarcation authority – calls for the installation of 120 metres of rope, linked by wooden poles spaced four metres apart.

Fishermen and dry dock users

Provisionally, the Council has supported a system of restricted access for owners of boats and wooden dry docks in that area as well as emergency vehicles that attempt to gain temporary access.

The majority of the individuals who fit this profile are retired Formentera residents trying to transport barrels of gasoline or fishing tackle. In the absence of such provisional access, these residents would be disproportionately affected by changes imposed under the incoming system. To request this special access, residents are asked to visit the Citizen Information Office (l'OAC), located in Sant Francesc Xavier, starting Monday 26 January.