By Andrew Atkinson, Los Alcázares
Following the announcement that no anti-jellyfish nets would be put into the water in Los Alcázares this summer, ‘volunteers’ are doing a public service – by removing huge jellyfish on surfboards!
A decision was made to stop putting anti-jellyfish nets out in Los Alcázares, Murcia, after it was deemed to be responsible for creating an increase in algae and mud.
Los Alcázares Town Hall did not request the General Direction of the Mar Menor place nets in situ this year, as in years’ passed.
It has been the norm to place jellyfish nets in the Mar Menor, off the Los Alcázares coast, as a prevention of jellyfish entering swimming and bathing areas.
The decision not to place the anti-jellyfish nets followed a meeting of technicians from the Interadministrative Forum of the Mar Menor, deeming them aesthic, causing a dyke effect in the Mar Menor, by slowing currents that improve quality of beaches, generating a ‘serious’ problem of mud in the lagoon.
“What is necessary is the marking of the bathing area, in order to guarantee the safety of the bathers,” said Councillor for the environment of Los Alcázares Lopez Campoy.
The mayor of Los Alcázares Mario Pérez Cervera also aired his views, citing that finances used for anti-jellyfish nets should go to finance additional crews to remove biomass, following beaches appearances of accumulation of sludge.
In June the beaches were beginning to get busy, with families and young children amongst a plethora of bathers in the area where the jellyfish were removed from the sea in Los Alcázares.
