News

Condé Nast Traveler crowns Save Posidonia Project earth-friendly initiative of year

Friday, 05 May 2017 20:15

Entrega premis 1 Last night in a Madrid hotel, at Condé Nast Traveler's annual award gala, CiF land and tourism councillor Alejandra Ferrer was on hand to accept the travel website's “green project of the year” distinction for Formentera's Save Posidonia Project.

Ferrer pointed out the selection served as an appropriate symbol for the celebration of 2017 as the year of sustainable tourism, and expressed gratitude for an accolade she predicted would help broaden the campaign's reach.

Framing the Save Posidonia Project are two foundational pillars: one, to raise awareness about the importance of the posidonia plant, and two, to secure new donors as part of an initiative to safeguard seagrass meadows. Ferrer put the current level of donations at over €13,000, money that will be used at season's end to drive a project to protect the important plant.

This week saw the unveiling of a video tied to the campaign which, thanks to Facebook, has already reached upward of 250,000 individuals. To Ferrer, the project is a clear statement about the kind of tourist Formentera hopes to attract and a symbol of the island's commitment to sustainability.

Bundle of hashish turns up on beach

Friday, 05 May 2017 19:30

Rroballa poli local formentera 2 At 8.00am this morning Formentera local police were tipped off by a resident of es Pujols about a suspicious package on the town's shore. The officers arrived on the scene and found the object in question: a bundle containing what appeared to be hashish. Police immediately turned over the item to the Guardia Civil, which will oversee the ensuing investigation.

Forest buffer zone incorporated into es Ram swath of la Mola

Thursday, 04 May 2017 21:42

Faixa forestal es ram foto The president's office of the Formentera Council has enlisted a specialist firm in a bid to fireproof a wooded area in the es Ram neighbourhood of la Mola. Beginning at camí d'es Ram, the buffer zone stretches from the highway to the waterline and measures 1,700 metres (m) by an average of 17.5m.

Department head Bartomeu Escandell framed the measure as “risk reduction in a characteristically fire prone part of the island”. The undertaking involved thinning out the height and expanse of growth and setting up structures which can be used by fire-fighting crews.

Councillor Escandell took the opportunity to remind Formentera residents that in 2017 the island has been under high-risk alert since Monday, May 1, a status which will remain in effect through October 15. During this time all fires are strictly prohibited within 500m of wooded areas in the Balearics, barring express permission from the Council. Escandell highlighted the instrumental role of islanders in preventing forest fires.

The current procedure concludes the second phase of an initiative started last year by Ibanat forest service employees.

Help for island's coalition of livestock farmers

Thursday, 04 May 2017 21:47

Foto signatura conveni ramaders The administration has formalised a partnership agreement with Formentera's group of livestock farmers to bolster measures like animal sanitation and production systems upgrades. The deal signed by Council chair Jaume Ferrer and Jaume Tur, head of Associació de Ramaders de Formentera, lays the groundwork for funding of up to €37,000.

Under the pact the association commits to steps such as yearly vaccines and parasite treatments to ensure proper animal hygiene and uphold directives of Formentera's Office of Agriculture, Livestock, Fish and Hunting.

In addition to support for production, animal sanitation and other issues of animal health and identification across the group's network of member farms, the Associació pledges to apply measures agreed on at yearly meetings to develop common policy.

The coalition promises to continue educating member farmers about the tasks expected of individual farmers. These include:

-Disinfecting and pest removal.
-External treatment of parasites across sheep, goat and pig holdings and internal treatments of farm dogs.
-Tracking medicines given to productive animals on a log of medical treatments.
-Respecting medical indications prescribed by the group's veterinary service.
-Keeping food chain data for a forthcoming guidebook governing Formentera's abattoir
-Ear-tag identification with farm code for every head of livestock marked for slaughter. Ear tags will be supplied by CiF Office of Agriculture, Livestock, Fish and Hunting.
-Providing data for the census of livestock farm animals between January 1 and the final day of February.

Discover Formentera in May is back

Wednesday, 03 May 2017 16:26

Foto Descobreix for al maig The Formentera Council Office of Tourism once again presents “Discover Formentera in May,” a programme aimed at drawing tourists to the island by way of deep discounts on ferries, car hire and accommodation plus other various other perks for the island's low-season visitors.

This weekend and the next, at many of the island's restaurants, Gastronomic Weekends are one such bonus. Participating restaurants will offer their particular takes on favourite local dishes, all priced at €20. The selection can be found online at formentera.es.

Among the events intended to encourage travellers to pick Formentera is Formentera Fotogràfica, a gathering of professionals devised for photography enthusiasts that was held April 28 to May 1. Tourism councillor Alejandra Ferrer called this year's encounter “an out-and-out success” and “proof that the yearly wave of pre- and post-summer season activities is consistently improving”.

Another part of the campaign, Formentera 2.0, includes discussions of online communication and digital culture that run through May 7. For more information, visit www.formentera20.com. Formentera Film Festival is yet another big tourist draw. It will take place from May 18 to 21.

Sports fixtures like the May 13 half marathon round out the Discover Formentera in May programme. Full details can be found on the Office of Tourism website, together with a list of ferry companies, rental car agencies and overnight stay options which offer discounts.