The new Good Practices Manual for the removal of posidonia approved by the Consell, which aims to regulate the conservation of posidonia meadows and their removal, establishes that Calp only has two urban beaches: Arenal-Bol and La Fossa, the rest being protected natural beaches. The distinction is important because the Manual establishes that only on unrestricted urban beaches may posidonia accumulated on the shore be removed.
Furthermore, the Arenal-Bol beach is affected by the Penyal d'Ifac SCI, which means that there are restrictions on the removal of posidonia and it can only be removed exceptionally after storms when there is a large accumulation of marine phanerogams. The removal will be on an ad hoc basis and only from the dry area.
The Manual of Good Practices on the removal of posidonia and seba remains was approved by resolution of the Regional Ministry of the Environment last April. This Manual is intended to comply with Decree 64/2022, of 20 May, of the Consell, for the conservation of seagrass meadows in the Comunitat Valenciana, and establishes the points to be taken into account for the selection of where, when and how the remains of posidonia can be removed when they accumulate on the beaches.
Thus, all Calpe's beaches except La Fossa and Arenal-Bol are considered natural beaches and therefore the removal of posidonia is not authorised, nor is the removal of posidonia permitted on the Arenal-Bol beach as, although it is urban, it is affected by the Penyal SCI, designated areas of Community interest due to its potential contribution to restoring the natural habitat. Therefore, the removal of posidonia is only allowed on the beach of La Fossa and the way to do it is established in a strict way.
The council thus complies with the provisions of the Consell's decree for the conservation of this endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, of great ecological value, and which prevents its removal in order to preserve the vital environmental function of this plant, known as the lungs of the Mediterranean.
The presence of remains of this species both in the water and in the sand is a clear sign of good water quality and indicates that the water is clean and free of pollution. He also explains that these clumps of leaves that are produced on the beach are remains that have become detached from the underwater meadow as a result of storms and are known as arribazones, which play a fundamental role in preventing the loss of sand from the beaches.