“The fact that there are caravans in nature areas is a much more serious problem than it may seem. It is not nonsense. They are a very serious danger”, says Joan Carles Palerm, president of the Ibiza and Formentera delegation of the Grup d’Estudis de la Naturalesa (GEN). Palerm stresses that the information published on Tuesday by Diario de Ibiza about the caravans and camper vans that are offered as tourist rentals through Airbnb in nature areas “shows that is not being controlled“. “That they are even in protected areas such as ses Salines which is the worst consequence of the lack of control,” he continues.
Palerm highlights the “fire risk” posed by the presence of these vehicles in wooded areas. In fact, last weekend firefighters had to put out a forest fire in the municipality of Sant Joan. The fire started in a caravan parked among the trees that burned completely. “Then there is the problem of waste,” he points out before highlighting, also, the consequences for flora and fauna. Especially when these vehicles create new roads in search of a place to camp.
“Immediate” action agains the caravans
“The human presence generates nuisances that can affect the most vulnerable species. Also to nesting”, continues the expert, who asks the administrations to act against this problem of “shared responsibility”. The Consell de Ibiza is involved “on the tourism side”, as well as the Govern with the environmental aspect and also the municipalities, since the municipal ordinances are those that prohibit camping and, in some cases, also the overnight stay. The president of GEN Pitiuso is convinced that if in a joint action of the Policía Local “if 70 or 80 barriers were placed, the word would spread and this would stop happening”.
Palerm points out that it is a problem that had been seen in previous summers, but not to the same magnitude as this one, so he calls for action to be taken as soon as possible, especially in the case of caravans and vans that are set-up in protected areas. This weekend, the Policía Local of Sant Josep announced a campaign to monitor camping in areas of environmental relevance in the Natural Park of Ses Salines and the Natural Area of Special Interest (ANEI) of Cala d’Hort.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.