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Sunken ships removed in major Mar Menor clean-up operation
A total of 45 submerged vessels will be extracted from the floor of the Murcia lagoon
The Mar Menor is facing numerous challenges that threaten its ecological balance and to address these issues, various organisations have come together to launch a comprehensive plan to restore the lagoon's health. One of the key initiatives involves the removal of sunken ships that lie at the bottom of the Mar Menor.
The Ministry of the Environment, Universities, Research and Mar Menor, the Estrella de Levante Foundation, the Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE), the Fishermen's Guild of San Pedro del Pinatar, WWF and the Hippocampus Association have joined forces and signed an agreement to remove 45 sunken boats from the depths of the lagoon.
To execute this ambitious project, a team comprising workers and professional sea vessels linked to the Fishermen's Guild of San Pedro del Pinatar will be deployed. Supported by vessels from ANSE and WWF, the team will include qualified technicians such as biologists, environmental scientists and environmental technicians. Their primary goal is to minimise the impact on the marine life and environment during the removal process.
Six ships have already been successfully extracted, paving the way for the next phase of the project. The Hippocampus Association will document the entire process, creating an underwater report to raise awareness among the public about the significance of preserving the Mar Menor.
Environmental Restoration Project
The removal of sunken ships is part of a broader Environmental Restoration project launched by the Estrella de Levante Foundation in collaboration with the Fishermen's Guild of San Pedro del Pinatar in 2021. Through various initiatives, this project has achieved the remarkable feat of removing over 20 tonnes of waste from the lagoon.
The agreement, valid for four years, aims to extract a dozen boats from the riverside municipalities of San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Los Alcázares, and Cartagena. However, the final number of boat removals will depend on factors such as the state of the vessels and the complexity of the work involved in each removal.
Also of interest: New law aims to safeguard the Mar Menor and promote sustainable energy
Image: Estrella de Levante Foundation
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