The Balearic Governments most recent project, the Pla d'Ordenació de Recursos Naturals (PORN), will be active from October of this year.

The PORN organization will be dedicated to conserving specific green areas on the island such as sa Talaia and Cala d'Hort by making sure that these areas are not submitted to urbanization.

Cala d'Hort will be the first area protected by the new project. From October, all building permits will be cancelled, and the green belt will be converted into a Natural Park.

The only construction plans that may receive permits will be those dedicated to agriculture and farming, even then there will be restrictions. Also there will be places of special conservation where construction will be totally prohibited.

A councillor of the political party "Els Verds" (The Green Party), Joan Buades sees the new proposal as being very positive for the island as it will give tourists the chance to appreciate the Ibicencan landscape in all its splendour.

Remodelling of ses Feixes in Ibiza Town

The Lord Mayor of Ibiza Town, Xico Tarrés and the president of the Consell Insular (the islands council), Pilar Costa signed an agreement last Saturday to commence a clean-up project in the area of ses Feixes de Talamanca in Ibiza Town.

The project proposed by the town hall and the Consell Insular involves the rehabilitation of the water purifying plant and its surroundings as well as the construction of an ethnologic museum. This project opens the doors for the future possibility of guided excursions to the area accompanied by detailed facts on the history of ses Feixes de Talamanca.

Pilar Costa hopes that the project will be under way in one months time and that it will take no more than three months to complete.

The Commission of Agriculture extends the 'closed fishing season'

The Balearic Commission of Agriculture and Fishing has extended the period of the 'closed fishing season' for the "xyrichthys novacula", a fish commonly known as the Ibicencan raor, by fifteen days.

The reason behind the extension is because the numbers of raor fish that could be found in the Mediterranean Sea have decreased over the years. The closed season now extends from the 1st April to the 15th of August.

Local fishermen, as well as the Balearic Federation of Fishing and Casting, became worried about the statistics so they decided to take action.

The period of fishing prohibition permits the population of raor fish to multiple so that the danger of losing one of Ibiza's most finest breed of fish no longer worries the local fishermen.

Summer Sales

From the 16th July all the local shops on the island will be able to display their 'summer sales' signs again. The sales have been brought forward one week in comparison to last year after the Government received various complaints from different businesses on the island who claimed that the late date set for the summer period of discounts and promotions had caused Ibicencan companies to lose out financially.

Even though the dates have been brought forward, the Balearic Islands still commence their summer sales fifteen days later than mainland Spain.

Campaign against the dangers at sea

The Minister responsible for public affairs, along with the State Marine Service and the Marine Coastguard Service, has presented a campaign to alert the general public about the risks of the sea.

Most of the accidents that occur in the Mediterranean waters during the summer months involve private boats and are avoidable if the correct safety measures are taken.

The campaign consists of the publication of various informative leaflets available in English, Spanish, French and German, which offer information on how to avoid accidents. The pamphlets cater not only for boats but also for jet-skies, surfers and divers.

The Marine Coastguard Service offers tips on how to keep the sea clean and uncontaminated as well as talking about the essentials everyone should carry when going out to sea: a life jacket most be warn at all times, some flares and a small mirror to signal in case of danger; and a bottle of water.

The Marine Coastguard Service is certain that if everyone follows their tips, the Mediterranean Sea will be a safer and cleaner place for all.

Three Government campaigns to save energy

The objective of three new publicity campaigns organized by the Balearic Government is to promote energy saving.

The cost of the campaigns is estimated at 150 million pesetas, but necessary to reduce the energy consumption on the islands.

The first campaigns will commence this summer under the logo: "Save energy, preserve the environment".

Catalán classes for foreigners

Seven residents on the island are participating in a Catalán crash course organized by the island council (Consell Insular). The intensive classes commenced on Monday 2nd July and will last for two weeks in which time the participants will learn the basics of Catalán grammar.

This project is designed to insure that the traditional Ibicencan language is never lost and that the foreigner will have the opportunity to obtain knowledge and understand the culture of Ibiza by learning a language that is present in their every day lives.

7% of students in Ibiza do not speak Spanish or Catalán

The town hall of Ibiza has started a new project, which will facilitate the incorporation of immigrants into the Spanish educational system. Statistics show that during the school year of 2000/2001, 7% of students in Ibiza could not speak any language derived from Latin, such as Spanish or Catalán.

The 'Municipal Programme of Immigrants' is centred around a multicultural translator who will communicate with students parents making sure they understand the educational system and their rights and obligations. The parents will also be informed on how to obtain grants and other financial help if necessary.

The objective of this new project is to obtain a positive feeling amongst cultures, turning Ibiza into an ideal multicultural society.

Campaign against skin cancer

The 'Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer' (AECC), the Spanish equivalent of the English Imperial Cancer Research Fund, initiated a new campaign on the 10th July to alert sun-worshipers about the dangers of skin cancer, especially in the summer months when the sun is at its strongest.

The AECC, in collaboration with the 'Official School of Pharmacists' and the laboratories 'La Roche-Posay', will commence their three day campaign in Figueretas and continue to visit the most popular beaches on the island.

Louise Wright

louisewright@ibizahistoryculture.com