ARCHIVED - Murcia and Spanish news round-up week ending 12th May 2017

The Mar Menor takes centre stage, San Javier flight statistics continue to improve and property sales in Murcia are booming!

The issue of the water quality in the Mar Menor is often in the news in one way or another in the Region of Murcia, but this week it hit the headlines with the not altogether unexpected announcement that the prestigious Blue Flag status, which indicates safe bathing and quality facilities, has been withdrawn from 19 beaches on the shore of the lagoon for the summer of 2017.

It might not have been a surprise, but nonetheless there was some disappointment, particularly as the latest water samples analysed show that the situation is improving in the Mar Menor.

Elsewhere, a sure sign that summer is on its way was the decision by the Town Hall of Murcia to bring forward the installation of awnings over the central pedestrian shopping streets, in San Javier the airport delivered a significant improvement in passenger numbers and property sales figures show that the property sector is reflecting the general feeling of positivity as the Spanish economic situation continues to recover from the economic crisis of the last few years.

The Mar Menor

The problems experienced by the Mar Menor last summer after the filtration of agricultural nitrates into the waters of Europe's largest saltwater lake via agricultural run-off have remained a constant topic in the news since the first evidence of algal bloom appeared, and although the work undertaken to date has already started to show results, the topic remains prominent in the regional press.

Last weekend thousands attended a demonstration in Murcia, carrying banners and placards demanding that the authorities take action as soon as possible to put an end to the “degradation” of the conditions in the lagoon. Of course the regional government is already tabling legislation to ensure that agriculture in the area can be made compatible with the need to protect the environment, and has made several significant steps towards resolving the issue long-term, but in the eyes of the marchers, who are estimated to have numbered around 5,000, progress is being made too slowly.

At the same time, there was optimism among the prawn fishermen of San Pedro del Pinatar that improved water quality measurements will be reflected in their catches in the season which has just begun and lasts until 10^th July. Unfortunately the season began poorly for the fishermen, as the prawns of the Mar Menor generally prefer dark nights and tranquil sea conditions and instead there were strong winds and a full moon to contend with, but the expectation is that as warmer weather settles in and the moon wanes the figures will rise significantly.

On Tuesday Javier Celdrán, the new minister for Culture, Tourism and the Environment in the regional government of Murcia, reiterated the regional government’s commitment to continuing with the implementation of steps to regenerate and preserve the marine environment of the Mar Menor, describing it as a “tourism resource of the first order” in San Javier during his first official visit since taking office. His message to San Javier and the rest of the municipalities on the shore of the Mar Menor was that he and his colleagues view it as an absolute priority to protect and encourage tourism in the area.

But almost immediately after his visit the decision by the ADEAC organization to withdraw Blue Flag Status from the 19 Mar Menor beaches which previously held it was announced, sparking off a wave of acrid comments from the political opposition parties of the region.

Since the water quality measurements for the 2017 Blue Flags were taken late last year there have been improvements, as the regional government implements measures to halt the run-off of nitrates and other harmful substances into the sea from the farmland of the Campo de Cartagena, but it may not be until after the “green filter” in the Rambla del Albujón comes into operation later this year that sufficient progress is made for the Blue Flags to be regained.

At the same time, it has to be pointed out that the beaches on the Mediterranean coast of the Region of Murcia continue to gain more recognition every year from ADEAC: this year three more beaches have been added to the list, bringing the total of Blue Flags at beaches in the Costa Cálida to 24. The newcomers are the beaches of Percheles in Mazarrón, Cala de Calnegre in Lorca and Matalentisco in Águilas.

However, reaction to the exclusion of Mar Menor beaches has been strong in some quarters. The regional branch of the Ciudadanos political party is demanding that Javier Celdrán should appear in parliament to explain the situation, a pointless exercise in truth as the new regional minister has only been in his seat for a few days and none of the issues occurred during his watch, while at a national level the same party has directed a raft of questions at the Spanish government and the Mayor of Cartagena has warned of the “inevitable negative repercussions” on tourism this summer.

Blue flags are a recognised symbol of the quality of the beaches, and are often a reference for those booking holidays. Achieving blue flag status is a goal for every concejal with beaches under their control, so this loss of the blue flags could conceivably affect bookings around the Mar Menor, although many of the holidaymakers who return to the area year after year, own accommodation here. The more likely scenario is that the Mediterranean beaches, of which Murcia has plenty, will be busier, as they were last year, and those around the Mar Menor, quieter, as gradually the water quality continues to improve.

On Thursday the cudgels were taken up by Fernando López Miras, the new president of the regional government of Murcia, who visited the lagoon in person to see the situation for himself. Sr López Miras toured the lagoon on board a boat to inspect the progress which has been made already in regenerating the marine environment and reducing the turbidity of the water, following which he commented that if the water quality tests were carried out today “the Blue Flags would not have been lost”.

The president stated that “we will do everything in our power to recover this natural ecosystem”, describing the lagoon as a “jewel” and “one of the motors” of the Region of Murcia, and his assertions coincided with the results of the latest water quality tests, which show that bathing is safe at all Mar Menor beaches.

Passenger traffic figures for San Javier airport continued to show an improvement during April, the latest figures released showing that traffic at the airport rose by just under 20% during the first four months of the year, bringing the total passengers this year to just under a quarter of a million. Many visitors to Murcia also arrive via neighbouring Alicante airport, which is also continuing to grow and extend its routes capacity, which is also 14.7% up so far this year, having processed 3.5 million passengers during the first four months of the year. Nationally the figures are up by 9.4%, so both Murcia and Alicante are performing well this year, with Spain looking set to enjoy another bumper year for tourism.

Murcia Town Hall begins installing summer awnings in pedestrian streets: 30-degree heat in Murcia as the installation of the summer awnings is brought forward to May.

Regional parliament investigation of Camposol issues continues

A proposal made by the PSOE party to request the appearance before the committee of Isabel García Tejerina, the Minister in the national government of Spain for Agriculture, Fishing, Food and the Environment was approved by the committee, although legally the minister can decline to attend the hearing, as only the judiciary has the power to order her to answer questions. At the moment, this is a parliamentary investigation, not a judicial investigation.

Realistically, it is unlikely that the Minister will actually comply with the request, but at the same time the investigating committee also requested clarification of the facts regarding the construction of a total of 5,000 homes in Camposol from Francisco Blaya and José de la Cruz, former Mayors of Mazarrón who were in power when the plans for the urbanisation were presented and passed by the council. In addition, information is requested from Juan Antonio Senín, the municipal architect at the time building permission was granted.

Other items in the news this week

Murcia parliament to debate legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes: Ciudadanos also made a similar proposal in February in the national parliament, where last month it was decided that a committee should be formed to investigate the scientific evidence and decide whether it is strong enough to warrant a change in the existing legislation to allow the use of cannabis in patients with AIDS, MS and certain kinds of cancer.

Three arrested for stealing from immigrant aid centre in Beniajan: the north Africans threatened other users of the centre and damaged the premises they themselves had once benefitted from.

Cartagena Mayor vows to take the matter of the old Cathedral to the Vatican: José López, the Mayor of Cartagena, is becoming increasingly frustrated with what he sees as the reluctance on the part of the Diocese of the city and the regional government to make significant progress with the restoration of the Cathedral of Santa María, which was left in ruins by the bombing of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39).

Calasparra-Caravaca road to feature central sound bands: the RM-714, which also passes through Venta del Olivo and Jumilla, is one of those on which accidents are most common in the Region of Murcia, and for this reason it has been selected to be part of a campaign by which the sound bands are to be installed on 3,000 kilometres of public highways in Spain at a cost of 5 million euros.

International fleet gathers in Cartagena for US Navy-run exercise: Cartagena is one of the bases for the Phoenix Express 2017 exercise, in which the navies of numerous Mediterranean countries are taking part. 

Cartagena students take part in energy efficient vehicle competition in London: the UPCT Solar Team has already achieved a journey distance of 216 kilometres per kilowatt/hour, 200 more times energy efficient than a typical small saloon car!

Health authorities withdraw suspect Almeria tuna from the market: tuna produced by the company Garciden between 25^th April and 6^th May has already caused 50 cases of food poisoning in Andalucía, Madrid and Murcia.

Murcia and Spanish property news

Murcia property sales up by 35 per cent in March: the monthly sales figure in March was 1,097, representing a year-on-year increase of 35.1% and taking the cumulative total for the first quarter of 2017 to 3,200. At the same time, the running 12-monthly total is now 8.7% higher than it was twelve months ago.

This result exceeded the positive results for Spain as a whole, where sales figures rose by almost 30% and the total in March was the highest in a single month for six years!

Meanwhile, leading property valuation firm Tinsa reports a 2 per cent Spanish property price increase in the 12-month period ending in April this year, with prices in Mediterranean coastal areas having risen by a reported 5.4% since 1^st January. The firm also published its monthly “market snapshot” which underlines reasons to expect upward or downward movements in the value of homes in Spain, concluding that there are grounds for optimism among both market professionals and investors.

Spanish news summary: Catalunya and the economy hog the headlines, shock at cyclist deaths in Valencia

Mixed news for the Spanish government this week: on the one hand the economic indicators continue to show a marked improvement, causing the EU to upgrade its forecast for economic growth this year to 2.8%, but on the other hand the issue of the proposed independence referendum in Catalunya refuses to go away, and on Monday the appearance in court on charges of civil disobedience of the Speaker of the regional parliament brought about another show of support from a buoyant, flag-waving crowd.

Elsewhere, there was shock and outrage at the deaths of three cyclists from Jávea in Alicante after a drunk driver ploughed into them on the roads of Valencia on Sunday: two died instantly and the third passed away later in the week. There was also an outpouring of grief following the tragic death of a little girl in Girona when the bouncy castle on which she was playing broke free from its moorings and flew a distance of 40 metres, ghoulish horror-film scenes were in evidence after lightning caused a fire in a cemetery in León, and the Satanic theme continued with the appearance of the Devil’s number in the Monastery of the Santa Faz in Alicante.

In addition, 42 years after his death, General Franco continues to make the news in Spain: this week parliament approved a proposal for his remains to be disinterred and moved from the monumental memorial site of the Valley of the Fallen.

Scroll down below for a selection of Spanish national news items this week…

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