ISSUE NO. 1610
12 - 18 May 2016
MALLORCA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
Long live the Blue Flag By Sandra Galo Mallorca was in quite a stir recently when it was announced that the region renowned for its beautiful beaches had lost 12 Blue Flags, the most of all the regions of Spain. Blue Flags certify a high standard of water quality, environmental management, safety, services and accessibility, as well as education for both beaches and ports. Despite the loss, which includes three in the municipality of Palma, three new beaches in Mallorca have received Blue Flags this year, making a total of 35 Blue Flags flying over beaches of the island. President of the Blue Flag Association Jose Ramon Sanchez explained that the beaches have lost their flags because over the years the criteria has become “more demanding,” and also pointed out
that the treatment of the water should be “of quality.” Spokesperson for the Balearic Government Pilar Costa called on citizens to not get worked up over the loss, pointing out that 11 ‘candidates’ in Ibiza were not submitted for Blue Flag certification. She also added that in recent years, many municipalities have chosen not to submit beaches as candidates for a Blue Flag. As a nation, however, Spain continues to lead in the world rankings with a total of 686 (586 beaches
and 100 ports). One out of five beaches along the Spanish coast flies a Blue Flag. Worldwide, one out of every six Blue Flags that will be flying this summer will be over a Spanish beach.
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