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The environmental organisation Ecologistas en Acción has once again raised the alarm over serious ecological degradation along the Spanish coastline, awarding its annual ‘Banderas Negras’ or ‘Black Flags’ to 48 locations across the country suffering from pollution or environmental mismanagement.

 

The Black Flags are a response to the Blue Flags awarded by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC) for the high quality of global beaches. This year, the Region of Murcia received 36 Blue Flags.

 

In contrast, among the most notable recipients in this year’s edition of the Black Flag awards for Murcia are the Mar Menor and the Bay of Portmán, where environmental concerns continue to mount.

 

 

The Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, received a Black Flag for what Ecologistas en Acción described as long-standing and worsening environmental mismanagement. Speaking at the report’s presentation in Murcia, regional spokesperson Pedro Luengo warned of “many impacts from different human activities”, with tourism, urban development and agricultural runoff among the main culprits.

 

One key intervention that altered the lagoon’s balance was the widening of the Estacio channel to accommodate larger ships. This reduced the lagoon’s salinity by increasing its connection with the Mediterranean, changing the ecosystem and allowing invasive species to enter. However, Luengo stated that “the big problem” still lies in the massive influx of nutrients from agriculture and livestock farming.

 

“When it rains, sediments full of nutrients and phytosanitary products are washed into the lagoon,” he explained, adding that the Rambla de Albujón remains a major conduit for this pollution. While the Spanish government has implemented some regeneration measures, such as shutting down illegal wells and discharges, campaigners are calling for stricter limits on fertiliser use to curb the damage.

 

 

The second Black Flag in the Region was awarded to the Bahía de Portmán, long recognised as one of Spain’s most egregious examples of industrial pollution. The bay was severely affected by decades of mining waste dumped directly into the sea, a practice that has left more than 8 square kilometres of coastal waters contaminated.

 

The nearby Cala Mosca beach in Orihuela Costa, just north of the Murcia border, also received a Black Flag this year for “poor management”.

 

 

Beyond Murcia, this year’s Black Flags report places special emphasis on the widespread encroachment upon Spain’s maritime-terrestrial public domain.

 

“It’s a widespread practice by wealthy individuals and commercial companies,” said national spokesperson Cristóbal López.

 

Among the most controversial cases cited is the occupation of public beach land in Moaña (Pontevedra, Galicia) by Eva Cárdenas and her partner, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, former president of the Xunta and current leader of the Partido Popular. Although the area in question is small, López stressed the symbolic weight of the case.

 

Other examples include the private residential development on Toralla Island in Vigo, where public access is denied; Isla Pancha in Ribadeo, where commercial concessions limit public use; and multiple beach bars in Andalucía.

 

Tourism-driven construction and overuse also feature prominently in this year’s report. Repeated Black Flags were given to the Hotel RIU Palace Tres Islas, located in the protected dunes of Corralejo (Fuerteventura), and new ones were issued for sites like Costa de Trafalgar (Cádiz), the Salar de los Canos wetland (Almería) and Los Lances beach in Tarifa.

 

Catalonia, according to López, is the region experiencing the highest urbanisation pressure. Natural areas like the La Farella beach pine forest and the final stretch of the Rec d'en Feliu river are now at risk from commercial development.

 

The report also raises concerns about the rush to revalidate beaches for tourism. “Blue flags are being awarded to beaches just seven months after they were affected by the DANA storms, despite no analytical results on the condition of the sand or seabed,” said López. This, he warned, demonstrates a worrying disregard for the long-term environmental consequences of extreme weather events.

 

Now in its twentieth year, the Black Flags report continues to spotlight the most pressing coastal environmental issues in Spain. The message from Ecologistas en Acción remains clear: urgent, consistent action is needed to protect the country’s coastal ecosystems from destruction, degradation and private appropriation.

 

Image: Ecologistas en Acción