ARCHIVED - Residents of Lo Pagán and Los Urrutias plan more Mar Menor protests

Demonstrations are scheduled in Villananitos this Sunday and in Los Urrutias in a fortnight’s time

As frustration simmers not far beneath the among residents on the coast of the Mar Menor, where many people feel that too little is being done too slowly to protect the marine environment in the lagoon and to reduce the risk of further flooding in episodes of heavy rain, the “Mar Vivo” platform group has announced that it will be holding a peaceful sit-in protest on the beach of Villananitos in Lo Pagán (San Pedro del Pinatar) at 11.00 on Sunday 1^st March.

Those wishing to join the demonstration are invited to gather opposite the Molino Quintín windmill on Sunday morning in order to support the demands for measures to stop what Caroline Riviere, spokesperson of Mar Vivo, describes as “the general contamination and death of the Mar Menor”. Her view is that while “naturalists and scientists have put forward many solutions” those currently being proposed by various public administration bodies are insufficient to deal with the problems in the lagoon.

Meanwhile, the residents of Los Urrutias have announced another march in protest at the condition of the beaches in their town in a fortnight’s time, angered by the fact that in their view the condition of the inland shore of the Mar Menor is being neglected even now that Lent has begun and the Easter holidays are under 6 weeks away. Unconvinced by the efforts of cleaning brigades sent by the Town Hall of Cartagena and other administrations, who between them are reported to have removed 175 tons of seaweed from the coastline, the locals point to the fact that still no visible progress has been made towards the planned construction of five bathing stations with jetties which will allow people to bypass the mud and seaweed along the coast and reach the cleaner water further from the beaches.

Elena Lledó of the local neighbours’ association is quoted in the regional media as saying that the state of the shoreline is “lamentable”, adding that “none of what they promised us has been delivered”.

The demonstration planned will be similar to those which have been held over the last couple of years, the intention being to block the main RM-54 road which links Punta Brava, Los Urrutias, Estrella de Mar and Los Nietos.

The five bathing stations planned by the regional government have been in the pipeline for some time, and it was originally the intention for them to be installed by the end of 2018. One is to be located in Punta Brava (close to the mouth of the Rambla del Albujón), three in Los Urrutias (in El Pedregal, close to the church and in El Caletón) and one in Estrella de Mar, but it is reported in the regional media that the Murcia government budget for 2020 includes enough funding only for three of them.

Responding to similar demands voiced earlier in the week by Ana Belén Castejón, the Mayoress of Cartagena, Antonio Luengo, the minister for Water, Agriculture, Farming, Fishing and the Environment in the government of Murcia explained that in order for the work concerned to go ahead authorization is required from the Coasts department of the national government.

Image 1: the beach of Villananitos this week

Image 2: AAVV Los Urrutias Facebook

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