“Eco-friendly buoys allow for respectful use of the sea while protecting posidonia seagrass”

For those who may not be aware of the importance of posidonia seagrass, why is it important, and what threats does it face from uncontrolled mooring?

Posidonia is a plant that has both a physical and biological influence on the habitat. Physically, it settles sediment, which protects beaches. It also affects water clarity. Biologically speaking, you might call it the ocean’s babysitter: lots of species live in seagrass meadows when they’re still larvae or juvenile. When they reach adulthood, they then venture out into other parts of the sea.

What’s the current state of boat mooring in the Balearic Islands, and why does it require the expansion of eco-friendly mooring fields?

Well, technically speaking, mooring fields with eco-friendly anchorage points are governed by a special decree on the conservation of Posidonia oceanica. Preliminary studies were carried out to assess the condition of posidonia meadows and the level of mooring activity in those areas, in order to determine where regulations were needed.

The main benefit of eco-friendly buoys is to protect posidonia seagrass when boats are moored, but do boaters also stand to gain anything?

Of course. You can’t drop anchor in these areas because this plant grows very slowly. Every time a boater drops anchor above a seagrass meadow, whether unintentionally or on bad advice, they destroy it, and it takes decades for that damage to be repaired. Therefore, by establishing regulated mooring zones in all these areas where anchoring is prohibited, we’re ensuring that posidonia seagrass can continue to be used and enjoyed, whilst taking action to protect the seabed. There’s no restriction on use or enjoyment, provided that this is done without damaging the posidonia meadow.

It’s about being more responsible, then?

Exactly, balancing people’s use and enjoyment of the area against the protection of the habitat.

Some of the sites where new mooring fields are being installed include Cala d’Hort, Porroig and Illa de l’Aire. As a result, the Balearic Islands will now have a total of 415 eco-friendly buoys. What does this expansion mean in terms of management?

We have four years’ experience in the installation, management and operation of these mooring fields. We’re relatively new to this work. However, as we already managed ports and moorings, we had an online mooring booking system and a direct service for visitors and residents.

How have these tools been adapted to the new mooring fields?

What we’ve done is to adapt the tools we already had. Taking into account the specific circumstances of these mooring fields, we’ve tailored them to provide these services to boaters as well. There’s a website where you can make bookings, access information about the project, see buoys and their locations, including in Cabrera Maritime-Terrestrial National Park (which also has eco-friendly buoys), and find out about good environmental practices for boaters, both in port and at anchor.

Apart from the online service, what other services do you offer?

As well as the online service, we operate a customer helpline from Monday to Sunday, 09:00 to 20:00 during the high season, through which we can directly address any queries or specific issues. And for the mooring fields, we have skippers: the most direct point of contact. As well as helping people to anchor correctly, they provide information and raise awareness about why the new buoys have been installed, about the protection of posidonia seagrass, and can even point out nearby sandy areas where anchoring is allowed.

What criteria were used to decide where the new mooring fields would be installed?

That wasn’t up to us. It was determined based on environmental reports produced prior to the Posidonia Protection Decree of 2018.

Based on these reports on the condition of the seagrass meadows and anchoring activity, the decree set out which ones required regulation. These are the sites where we’re now working to install eco-friendly buoys, in an effort to restore seagrass meadows that have already been damaged by anchoring. We also manage the most popular mooring points to regulate the number of boats and prevent further damage.

What’s the next step?

Once we identify the sites, an engineering consultancy is called upon to draw up a basic design and construction plans. These plans require specific studies of the site: biological characteristics, size, condition of the seagrass meadow, sediment type, bathymetry, wind exposure, typical wave height, etc. Based on all these criteria, buoy layouts are drawn up, specifying where they can be anchored and the length of the boat they can accommodate, while also taking into account the turning radius to prevent boats from colliding with one another.

Do these new buoys feature any new technology?

Yes. This year, we’ve been trialling smart buoys—French-made buoys that alert you when someone moors and even provides wind and wave data.

These are pilot schemes. For the time being, most mooring fields still use standard white inflatable buoys, which prevent damage to hulls. But our aim is to improve data collection on the condition of the field and its management.

What impact do you hope to see in terms of the recovery of posidonia meadows?

Posidonia grows slowly, but in the long term these measures will help to regenerate seagrass meadows and improve the habitat, while allowing boaters to continue using these areas as they always have, without causing damage. It’s a slow but steady recovery.

Other sites are currently underway, such as those at Sa Foradada and Es Caló d’Artà, which are scheduled for 2026. What stage are they at?

These projects are still undergoing environmental assessment by the Department for the Environment and Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition, as well as by the Coastal Authority (regional) and the Harbour Master’s Office. These processes require approval from numerous bodies, which leads to delays. They were set to be ready in 2025, but we haven’t been able to complete all the required procedures. We hope to have them by 2026, but it’s a complex process.

Which bodies are involved in approving these projects?

The Department for the Natural Environment and Forest Management, the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the Coastal Authority, the Harbour Master’s Office, and local councils in the affected areas. Coordinating between so many different bodies is a difficult task.

Do you have a final target or an estimate of how many more buoys would be needed?

It’s not a question of the number of buoys, but of the need to protect a species that was designated as protected by the European Union in 1992. Despite this, due to a lack of awareness, people continue to anchor on the seagrass meadows. That’s why the decision has been taken to install mooring fields: not only as a way of monitoring and enforcing regulations, but also as a tool for ensuring use in line with conservation.

How does this project fit into the Government’s overall policies on sustainability and tourism?

Regarding sustainability, by protecting habitats we’re taking action to safeguard our natural heritage. And it also affects tourism: it’s not all sun and sand. Our natural heritage is spectacular, and tourists come here for it, whether to see the Serra de Tramuntana (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) or our coastline and coves. Initiatives of this kind benefit both the protection of the marine environment and water tourism, allowing visitors to enjoy the natural heritage we must protect.

Finally, how do you justify the need to invest in and fund these projects?

The importance lies in protecting our natural heritage. This heritage belongs to all citizens; we have the right to enjoy it, but also the duty to look after it. Proactive action like this helps to ensure the use and enjoyment of the natural environment, but also its protection, so that this generation and future ones can continue enjoying the sea.