The continuous arrival of small boats to the coasts of Ibiza y Formentera has become a growing problem, with dozens of boats accumulating every month, which has collapsed storage spaces and posed serious environmental challenges. Faced with this situation, the central government has initiated a bidding process to contract a company to take charge of the scrapping and disposal of these vessels, with the aim of mitigating their impact and avoiding further saturation in the island’s facilities.
Environmental operation: the vessel disposal plan
The port of Ibiza and the Cap de Barbaria waste plant in Formentera currently store some 67 pateras, each weighing an average of 350 kg. The scrapping project not only seeks to free up these spaces, but also ensures compliance with strict environmental regulations. The company that wins the contract will receive a payment of 1.49 euros per kilo in Ibiza and 2.97 euros per kilo in Formentera, estimating a total cost of 65,617 euros. One of the key requirements of the process is the treatment of the engines of these boats, whose sale is totally prohibited in their complete state. Instead, they must be dismantled piece by piece, preventing their reuse to prevent them from returning to the sea.
A necessary intervention to protect the coasts
The Insular Directorate of the General State Administration in Ibiza and Formentera, responsible for the project, has stressed the importance of this operation as a measure of “environmental responsibility”. In a context in which the arrivals of small boats have increased and the islands have seen an unprecedented accumulation, this intervention seeks to restore the balance in the affected areas and avoid further deterioration of local infrastructures and the natural environment. With the increasing migratory flow to the Balearic coasts and the continuous pressure on the infrastructures of the Pitiusas, the project aims to offer a sustainable and long-term solution to the management of the pateras, ensuring that the environmental impact is kept under control and that the coasts can remain a safe and clean space for residents and visitors.
