Ecologistas en Acción's report, entitled “Black Flags 2006. Not a Single Brick More!” identifies the worst affected areas along the Spanish coast. The main problems highlighted are the uncontrolled, outrageous building developments, the proliferation of marinas, and the insufficient treatment of waste water.

Ecologistas en Acción's detailed report condemns the terrible state of Spain's coasts. The aggressive actions which have led to this worsening state – the deterioration of the coastal ecosystems and their resources, the eutrophication of the water, the loss of identity of coastal towns and villages, and the ever-receding countryside – have been pointed out in this report which awards them black flags and black points. The black flags indicate the worst cases (highly polluting waste, illegal and disastrous construction -much of it along the coastline, problems which affect the coastal ecosystem) whilst the black points refer to problems which are still significant but less serious (e.g. dumping of waste and the ploughing up of protected land).

The report indicates that there are 271 black flags and 298 black points. Those that stand out most are irregularities liked with the construction business (speculation, changing the legal status of land, the construction of tourist complexes, the building of new properties..) It should particularly be noticed that 221 of the worst incidents affect designated protected sites. Although it is well known that this situation applies to all of the Spanish coast, the worst affected area is the south coast where 99 protected sites have been spoilt, followed by the coasts of Valencia and Murcia where there have been 70 such cases.

Another fundamental element which has transformed our coasts is the proliferation of new harbours and marinas – the report indicates that there are 58 new developments: the breakwaters which are part of these development contribute to erosion.

This bleak picture gets even worse: highly polluted waste has been detected at 157 different points, because the sewage works of tourist areas cannot cope with the increased population during the summer months.

The authorities do not react firmly to this situation and their inadequate measures are incapable of containing this destructive process. Faced with the extreme situation in which we find ourselves, Ecologistas en Acción feels that only drastic measures will do. We need to put a stop to all building of new developments and marinas along the coastline. The problem of waste water should also be tackled properly, ensuring a proper investment which will allow for the water to be properly treated.

Follow this link to read a summary of the report (two pages) in English: https://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/article.php3?id_article=5537

Alternatively, follow this link to read the full report in Spanish:
https://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/wp-content/uploads/adjuntos-spip/pdf/banderas_negras_2006.pdf