ISLAND

By Christine Brooker

Fishmongers Retiring

Both the fish markets in Mahón and Ciutadella are finding that no one is bidding to run the stalls to sell the locally caught fish and shell fish. In Ciutadella only one stall has been confirmed and if no more come forward there will be five empty places, even though the ayuntamiento has reduced the rents.

In Mahón, Peixos (fish) Lino has closed after three decades due to the retirement of the stall holder. His daughter who has helped him for many years cannot afford to take over the business. She says it is difficult being self-employed and the numbers just don´t add up. She comments that bad weather, fishing restrictions, a lack of fishermen, rising prices etc. make life complicated meaning there is little profit and sometimes none at all. Earlier this year another stall closed (La Port Llansa) and there are only three still open in Mahón. One of them laments that young people don´t have the knowledge about the sea, the fishing industry or the vocation, adding that when these three retire that will be the end of the stalls in the fish market. He says anyone can go out fishing but to do it well is another story. The fishmongers still have their faithful clientele, many live locally and prefer fresh island fish to buying in the supermarkets. Lots of people who go for tapas in the other part of the market have a look round and show interest, but they rarely buy anything. The stall holders want the history of the fishing industry on the island documented and the emblematic market preserved.

New restrictions have affected the professional lobster fishermen on the island. Previously they could leave the trammel nets in the water for 48 hours; this has been reduced to 24 hours affecting their catch. Fishermen in Fornells say from 1st April to 28th June in 2022 they caught 4.703 Kilos and for the same period this year the catch was reduced to 3.462 Kilos. Mahón and Ciutadella tell the same story. Prawns, from the large Langoustines to the small shrimps are unaffected. All Menorcan lobsters must be identified as having been caught legally (this law applies throughout the Balearics) and restaurants must abide by this.

A Taxi And A Walk

People taking taxis to Cala Tirant to the apartments on the far side of the beach opposite Playas de Fornells have complained to the Ayuntamiento in Es Mercadal that taxis are leaving them where the tarmacked road finishes; they then have to walk two kilometres, often with luggage. The taxi company confirmed that this is correct. The problem is that this is a private road, (similar to the situation in Binimelà where there are also complaints) which it is up to the owners to maintain. The taxi drivers say that potholes and dust damages their cars. An added problem is that the coastal authorities have to approve any changes as the road passes the Basses de Lluriach which at certain times of the year is a wetland.

Cinema For Senior Citizens

Two cinemas in Menorca are joining the government initiative to encourage those over 65 to start coming back to watch films. On one day of the week they will be able to buy tickets for two Euros. Cinemas Canal Salat es Moix Negré and Ocimax Multicines are taking part. It doesn´t say if the reduction applies to the original or Spanish versions of the movies.

Fiestas

We are still in the fiesta season, so a quick look back at Sant Joan in Ciutadella in June. Per la Mar Viva (For a living sea) installed a net by the Pont de Ferro (Bridge) in the port to prevent too much plastic being washed into the sea. They collected 113.47 kilos including 1.800 bottles, 2000 beakers and straws, and non recyclable plastic bags, now prohibited by law. On the same day the paper reported that the air being breathed in Menorca contained particles from the forest fires in Canada... Another anecdote is that a huge poster was displayed (albeit for a few minutes until the national police removed it) stating Ferreries 52, Ciutadella 0, in reference to the fact that women are still not allowed to ride in the fiestas there (incredibly!) and that they have been allowed to in Ferreries for the last 52 years. I imagine in some of the other towns it may have been longer.

Costly Sunbeds

The cost of sun beds, pedalos and general beach services have often been a cause for complaint as the ayuntamientos tend to “auction” them off to the highest bidder, and those who have the concession obviously want to make a profit. Now there are more problems in Ciutadella and Son Bou. In the beaches at Son Xoriguer, Cala en Bosc and Cala Blanca the prices charged for sun beds, umbrellas, kayaks, surf boards and pedalos are double those stipulated. A pedalo that should cost 12 Euros for an hour has been charged at 25; kayaks that have a maximum price of 40 Euros for eight hours are being rented for 50 Euros for four hours, and in Macarella 25 to 30 Euros for an hour. There is also an absence of boards stating the official prices that is signed and stamped by the ayuntamiento in Ciutadella. The ayuntamiento and the department for the environment are making enquiries. In Son Bou sun beds and umbrellas are being “rehired”. The tour operator, Around Portugal, has complained on behalf of guests who had left their belongings on the sun beds while they had lunch, only to find that when they returned these had been jumbled up in a box with other peoples possessions, none of which were separated or labelled and the sun beds “rehired”. The tour company says one of the employees threatened a 75 year old client. It would seem much simpler if the ayuntamientos just employed people themselves instead of taking the money and forgetting about the service.

David De Gea Ties The Knot In Menorca

David de Gea the Spanish footballer who was goalkeeper for almost 12 years at Manchester United got married on 1st July (the day after his contract finished in Manchester) in Menorca to Edurne, a well known singer in Spain who has represented the country in Eurovision and is a judge on the Spanish programme “Got Talent”. Both are from Madrid. The setting for the marriage was the Lithica quarries near Ciutadella - these have lovely medieaval gardens and a mazeunfortunately the photo released to the press (they didn´t sell an exclusive) did not present the area at its best showing a large crane in the background! Fortunately this was edited out by Hola! (Spanish Hello!). The guests also enjoyed a prenuptial dinner at Isabellas in Playas de Fornells and a reception at a rural hotel in Alaior. Spanish international and ex Man U players Ander Herrera and Juan Mata attended the wedding. When asked why they had chosen Menorca, David told the press, “We really like this island, it has a special charm and in summer you want to be near the beach… I am not one to get emotional, but I have been quite excited,” The celebrity couple shared photos of the wedding, on Instagram. Between them their accounts have 17 million followers.

Organ Donors

In the first five months of the year three people have donated organs, the same amount as the whole of 2022. Donations in Menorca started in 2001 and thanks to the solidarity of 57 donors and their families 177 organs have been transplanted. The profile of the donors shows an average age of 56, 49% men and 51% women. 84% with the blood group O positive and most had brain (encephalic) deaths. Since 2017 it has been possible to extract organs from people in Menorca. Both the Spanish National Health service and the local organisation Alcer (which is sometimes thought to just represent kidney patients, many of whom receive dialysis, but they represent all those waiting for organs) are asking people to go to their health centres and register their wishes to donate.

MIRO’S HOMAGE TO THE TAULA

The Cayón Gallery in Mahón has Joan Miró as the star of this summer’s exhibition. One of the sculptures was inspired by the taulas, the T shaped monuments, unique to Menorca and part of the Talayotic culture. The sculpture dated from 1977 consists of a fragment of wood, a rectangular shaped stone a cardboard box of books entitled “History of Humanity” and on top a whetstone shaped like a half moon. There is also a photo of the taula at Trepucó with Miro´s sketches and ideas for the sculpture. The exhibition is open until 9th September and there is a catalogue written by Sir Peter Murray O.B.E., Founder of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Son Vilar Petrol Station Closed

Local police from Es Castell officially sealed the pumps at the Galp petrol station in Son Vilar on 29th June. The “Tribunal Superior” had ruled that the licence granted by the ayuntamiento in September 2019 is inadmissible. At first Galp ignored the court order and continued to open. The legal action was taken by Servicio Rosselló S.L. after the courts had annulled the original licence; Joan López Oleo, owner of Galp (Gasolis Low Cost Menorca) says the last thing they want is for the ayuntamiento to have to reimburse them which of course would implicate all the residents in Es Castell. The supermarket has also been closed and five employees in total are in an uncertain situation. Lluís Camps, the alcalde, says they didn´t grant permission until all the reports were favourable and this took two years from 2014 to 2016. The latest news is that the original order to demolish the petrol station (the date has now expired) has been delayed due to GALP’s appeal. Apparently Rosselló don´t like the fact that the petrol station is situated near to theirs in Fort de L´eau (by the rusty roundabout), and have claimed that the site is in a built up area. Presumably they haven´t noticed the huge blocks of flats near their petrol station (?!). Many of these were built later, to be fair, but permission was granted. Residents in Es Castell, Son Vilar etc. wonder why they can´t have a petrol station as most towns on the island are well served, especially Mahón. There has always been a supermarket too which was useful for locals and tourists alike.

BE CAREFUL, YOU ARE BEING FILMED

Local police in Ciutadella have purchased four body cameras which were used in the recent town fiestas. The cameras are worn at chest level and people can see that they are being filmed, which is hoped will make them pause for thought. The videos and sound are of high quality and can be used in evidence, and the software enables the recordings to be seen live at the police station where they will be encrypted to comply with data protection. The police activate the panoramic vision cameras if they feel the situation warrants it and they are always in readiness and record the moments before they are activated. The total cost of the four was nearly 9000 Euros. Now the police must submit a request for a more permanent use of the equipment as this was granted specifically for the local fiestas of St. Joan.

Two Of The Largest Air Raid Shelters On The Island

The 154 air raid shelters including galleries and cellars in Menorca dating from the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) are in the process of being catalogued by Miquel López (historian) and Carlos de Salort (archaeologist), 50 to 60 of these have not been studied before; for the survey, organised by the Consell the men have been consulting historical and military archives in Menorca and Mallorca. Construction of the network of shelters began in 1938; in Mahón most of the shelters were small and connected up the cellars in the same streets. In Ciutadella there are fewer, but these are larger and had direct access from the street, one of the largest stretches for 200 mts. under Ses Voltes (the arches) from the Nova plaza to the Cathedral square. A huge hangar was built under the Aeroclub de Menorca (the old airport) near Sant Lluis to safeguard planes. Menorca was bombed by Italian planes with a base in Mallorca under the orders of General Franco; the Republicans in Menorca worked hard to finish the runway so that they could defend the island. López says that the study is nearly complete but they are still collecting information about shelters in Alaior and Sant Lluis.