Guide published to prevent boats anchoring in posidonia meadows
The brochure is available in Spanish, English and French, and has been distributed to all ATNMA partners, who in turn will distribute it to all their clients by email, WhatsApp and social networks.
Thursday 9th June 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: original article – Xàbia AL DÍA
The summer season is arriving and the sea takes centre stage as a tourist attraction, especially in a region such as Marina Alta, which is a leader in nautical tourism in the Comunidad Valenciana. And ATNMA has decided to contribute to the compatibility of nautical activity with respect for the environment and, above all, with Posidonia, a protected species.
The Marina Alta Nautical Tourism Association (ATNMA) has been very active in everything related to the protection of the posidonia meadows and it has been the promoter of the creation of the Posidonia Working Group. “From the beginning we have opted for awareness rather than prohibition, which is why our purpose is to inform sea users of how to continue enjoying nautical activity without damaging Posidonia, and this brochure goes along those lines“.
“We are demanding more mooring buoys from the administrations, but until they are installed, we have to live with this situation in the best possible way”, says Ricardo Burriel, President of ATNMA.
As part of this initiative, ATNMA has started the campaign “Respetemos la Posidonia” with the publication of an informative brochure with practical advice related to anchoring boats. The brochure is available in Spanish, English and French, and has been distributed to all ATNMA partners, who in turn will distribute it to all their clients by email, WhatsApp and social networks.
“We are very clear that the majority of sailors and lovers of the sea respect the environment and have good practices. We are all interested in the waters being in the best possible conditions and posidonia contributes to this. We will continue to carry out actions that promote this idea”, assures Ricardo Burriel. The brochure “Respetemos la Posidonia” will begin to be distributed this week and will continue the campaign throughout the summer.
This campaign is part of one of the fundamental objectives of ATNMA, which is to work to achieve the compatibility of nautical activity with environmental sustainability.
For this reason, the association will continue to promote actions of this type in the short and medium term through collaborations with institutions, organizations and NGOs.
What is posidonia?
Posidonia meadows are an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea that is not present in any other sea in the world.
Unlike algae, it has leaves, stems and roots, although it also produces flowers and fruits. It grows on a moving bottom, that is, sandy, while algae grow on hard or rocky bottoms.
This plant plays an important role in sedimentary dynamics, as it keeps the sediment immobile with its roots and creates important areas of oxygen production, breeding and refuge for many species.
Avoid busy periods, in the evenings there are usually fewer boats.
If the sea allows it, anchor in alternative areas to the most usual ones. There are many areas and secrets to discover.
If you drop anchor, check that there is no posidonia on the bottom. It is advisable to lift the anchor manually and not with a windlass, always without dragging and in a vertical position.
If you don’t find a buoy, try to dock with another boat.
We sail in a very privileged environment, this is a protected area. It is not permitted to anchor on Posidonia meadows.
