At noon today in the doorsteps of the Formentera Council (CiF), a moment of silence was observed to grieve the loss of life of a woman in the Mallorca town of Port de Pollença. The woman died yesterday, a victim of gender violence. On hand were CiF president Jaume Ferrer, the Govern Balear's minister of the president's office, Pilar Costa, councillors from the ruling and opposition parties of the Council and the chairwoman of institutional, labour and resident relations on the island. The action was aimed at condemning the woman's senseless death. She is the third fatal victim of gender violence in the Balearics this year. 

The Formentera Council convened its May plenary session today, an event that was marked by the adoption of a proposal concerning Can Ramon, a home and heritage site in Sant Francesc. The unanimously-adopted proposal calls for the detailed reparcelling study and ultimate restoration of the property, which, as CiF land councillor Alejandra Ferrer explained, will house Formentera's future ethnological interpretation centre.

The go-ahead was also given to a measure to back the international bid to put dry stone on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Assets. Further to that end, plenary members voted as one to support a proposal to begin proceedings declaring the traditional technique of dry stone wall-building an Intangible Cultural Heritage Asset. According to Susana Labrador, chair of the Council's Office of Patrimony, the goal is “ensure the protection of this craft, an important part of our island's intangible heritage.”

Plenary members additionally greenlighted a proposal install a new stage in the Council's cultural hall, a site known popularly as la Sala de Cultura that also houses the island's cinema. Lastly, plenary participants voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance laying out guidelines of use at the Formentera cemetery.

Report from Office of Environment
Finally, Daisee Aguilera, the CiF's councillor of environment, highlighted biodiversity preservation projects from within her department that aim to protect island assets like posidonia sea grass, white pines and lizards. In addition, the councillor pointed to what she called “even grander efforts” to scuttle oil exploration projects in nearby waters and promote climate change-tackling renewable energies.

Aguilera also touted her office's administration of basic services like solid waste treatment in urban areas and oversight of water and electricity supplies. She underscored the importance of “continuing to educate and raise awareness among young and old alike” in terms of “how best to defend the green values that define our marvelous corner of paradise.” Aguilera took the opportunity to take stock of all of the current CiF Office of Environment projects devised to “ensure Formentera loses nothing of what makes it so special and unique”.