A new, unified approach to the cleaning of beaches and coastal waters comes into operation this year, a project which is costing €5.8 million and will see the number of cleaning boats reduced from last year’s figure of 30 to 25. However, some of the boats will be larger vessels with a greater cleaning capacity, although the operating company, Ecolmare Ibérica SA, say that part of the reduction in the number of boats is due to financial restraints under the current economic situation.
The new agreement provides for the cleaning of all the beaches along the 161 kilometre provincial coastline. Previously, each municipality was responsible for the hiring of cleaning companies and this was putting some under a lot of financial pressure.
The Axarquia will have the most boats, roughly one for each five kilometres of coastline, as the new system is based on ‘need’ and this area is the one where, for example, waste disposal facilities are not always optimal and, as a result, more cleaning may be required.
Málaga itself will have four boats operating along its beaches. West of Málaga, where there are more treatment plants, the number of vessels deployed will be less, roughly one for every eight kilometres of coastline.
The only area to really suffer a reduction in the number of cleaning vessels is the Costa del Sol Occidental, ironically the area with the largest coastline. A total of ten boats will be operational in this area.
In principle, the cleaning boats will operate from June to September, although the possibility is open for some to start in May.