This morning, Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera, opened Environment Days (Jornades de Medi Ambient), a conference organised by the University of the Balearic Islands and the Natural History Society of the Balearics that will run through tomorrow at Centre Antoni Tur "Gabrielet".

Juan welcomed attendees and hailed Formentera's first-ever hosting of the conference. "The research papers here presented show professionals' interest and concern for protecting the environment and for the future of our islands. As an island, we are particularly sensitive to these issues, and we can no doubt leverage much of the insight that emerges", she said.

Conferences are held Mondays and Tuesdays and offer a space for researchers and naturalists from various fields to present research and work on the Balearic Islands and the islands of Eivissa and Formentera in particular.

23 January 2023
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The University of the Balearic Islands and the Natural History Society of the Balearic Islands is organising the eighth Environment Days (Jornades de Medi Ambient) which Formentera will host for the first time on 23 and 24 January. The Consell de Formentera collaborates in the event.

The conference starts at 9.30am, Monday 23 January, in Centre Antoni Tur 'Gabrielet' and will offer a space for researchers and naturalists from various fields to present their research and work around the Balearic Islands and the islands of Eivissa and Formentera in particular. In this way, naturalists can learn what work is being done in fields other than their own.

The Formentera Office of Environment encourages people to participate in the conference, which will highlight recent years' naturalistic findings and research, and disseminate these activities to the general public. The event will also be a springboard for experience exchanges and share insight into environmental issues.

20 January 2023
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Office of Environment of the Consell de Formentera is pleased to report that this January, some of the seagrass that this summer was removed from the local shoreline, mixed with sand and stored on site per Decree 25/2018 on conserving oceanic posidonia in the Balearic Islands, will be returned to the water.

Seagrass has been returned to the beaches of Ses Illetes, Es Cavall d'en Borràs and Es Pujols.

According to Antoni Tur, environment councillor, putting posidonia back in the water serves a dual purpose: "To protect the beaches from erosion caused by winter storms, and to return the sand that had been removed accidentally when the seagrass was hauled off at the start of the season."

Regulations prohibit removing posidonia from beaches before 1 May. Rules at the Ses Salines Nature Reserve, however, are more restrictive and do not allow it before 15 May. The councillor underscored the importance of following best practices in removing posidonia to "preserve our beaches and protect them from erosion" and insisted, "Seagrass on our beaches doesn't make them dirty, it is a sign of the quality and good health of our waters."

Posidonia taken from beaches is made available to the public so that it can be used as fertiliser for fields, animal bedding and for other traditional uses.

14 January 2023
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Office of Agriculture of the Consell de Formentera reminds islanders that the pruning of plants like palm trees which are susceptible to infestation by red palm weevils should be done in January and February. In recent years the lowest average temperatures have occurred during these months, and pruning at this time can curb the weevil's proliferation.

Josep Marí, rural affairs councillor, praised Formentera residents for their collaboration in this regard in recent years. In 2013 the first local palm trees were destroyed due to the red palm weevil. The peak came in 2015, when 117 affected palm trees were destroyed. "We've seen a downward trend since then", explained Marí. "In 2022 only four palm trees were destroyed, and this confirms that the pest's numbers are in decline."

Office of Agriculture authorisation
Before pruning palm trees, islanders should obtain permission from the Office of Agriculture (located in Centre Antoni Tur "Gabrielet"; open 9.00am to 2.00pm, Monday to Friday). Requests can also be fielded through the Virtual Citizen Information Office (Oficina Virtual d'Atenció a la Ciudadania, OVAC). These measures are designed to safeguard palm trees and ensure that waste at the island's transfer plant can be managed properly (islanders who have received authorisation may dispose of waste at the transfer plant free of charge).

When pruning plants that are susceptible to weevil infestation, prune dry leaves only. If green leaves must be removed, cuts should be small and pruning mastic or a phytosanitary product should be applied. Cuts should be clean, not ragged. Avoid brushing stipes or trunks of vulnerable plants. Shaving or shaping should only be done when necessary, not for ornamental purposes, and should be followed immediately by phytosanitary treatment. If red palm weevils are detected during pruning, inform the Office of Agriculture so the official action protocol can be implemented.

The red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), a beetle that attacks palm trees, reduces and even stops its biological activity during cold temperatures.

12 January 2023
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera