August 15th News Ibiza

NUMBER ONE
The Balearic Islands has confirmed its status as the number one tourist destination within Spain for yet another year. A study carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) which ranked the different municipalities by their occupation levels during the 2006 season, revealed that five of the top ten destinations in Spain were in the Balearics.
Alcudia, in Majorca, came top of the list with an average occupation rate during the six-month season of 83.27 per cent. Formentera was in third place with an occupation level of 80.21 per cent. The first of the municipalities in Ibiza on the list was Santa Eulalia, with an average occupation of 77.95 per cent. The other areas making up the top ten included Benidorm, Muro and Pollenca.
The average nights stayed placed San Antonio within the top ten with an average stay last year of 6.93 nights. This fell well behind the Canary Islands who had an average of over 8 nights per stay.
The figures are a boost at a time when there are mixed signals being received from the various tourist organisations, with the Hotel Association in Majorca claiming that after a slow start the numbers were starting to improve, and they expected to produce better figures than last year. This statement was backed up by the Hotel Federation in Ibiza and Formentera, who claimed that the season was going to be slightly more successful than last year, in terms of numbers of hotel arrivals. The only Balearic Island that continues to suffer is Minorca, which is experiencing yet another tough year due to the continued shortening of their season.
The increase in national tourism was said to be the key to the rise in visitors. Again, the association claimed that the promotion of the islands carried out by the Govern Balear was starting to pay dividends, and was compensating for the falling British market. However despite being on the decline, the Brits remain the market leaders in Ibiza with 406,018 tourists arriving last year. This was just ahead of the 401,088 Spanish residents that visited the island in 2006. Italian tourists are now the third most important market on the island, bringing 191,008 people last year.
The optimism continued after the weekend airport figures showed that Ibiza received 11 per cent more passengers this past weekend, than in the same period last year. AENA, the Airport Authorities, revealed that a total of 1,027 planes landed over the weekend, 14.7 per cent more than in 2006. These figures were further evidence of the increase in passenger numbers during the peak months, and it was estimated that during this week a total of 204,300 passengers would pass through the airport, 11.5 per cent more than the same week last year.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Mistreatment Cases
The special judicial department, dealing solely with cases of domestic violence, which was set up exactly two years ago this week, is branded a success by local authorities. During this time the court has accepted 215 requests for special protection, after pleas from victims. This service provides sanctuary in carefully designated safe houses. The specialised court has dealt with 1,052 cases in total, 188 of which have ended with a prison sentence for the aggressors. Of these just two were women.
The majority of cases were begun after complaints from victims to police, although a fair number also started after police had intervened in specific cases of domestic violence.
Physical violence was still the most common type of abuse, although psychological mistreatment had become far more frequent over the last year, now making up for as much as a quarter of all cases.

Well Amnesty
The Environment Ministry at the Govern Balear authorised just under 2,500 wells for residential use over the last four years, it has been revealed. The department received a total of 2,587 applications in the Balearics, of which the majority were granted. The standard residential licence issued allows for an extraction of up to 7,000 cubic metres per year to be used in the home and in small, private allotments, although a vast majority of the licences granted during the last four years were much more specific to the needs of the user and permitted an extraction of between 200-600 cubic metres.
The Ministry declared an amnesty on illegal wells during their last administration, in an attempt to convince owners to legalise them. Although the campaign was deemed a moderate success, the amnesty has been extended for yet another two years. There are currently 25,683 registered wells within the Balearics. It is estimated that there are another 15,000 that, for the time being, remain out of the control of authorities. As water becomes more precious, it seems that the Govern are determined to control the amount of water being used on the island, and this can only be done when all of the wells are officially catalogued.

Planning Restrictions
The minister in charge of town planning at the Consell of Ibiza has advised all of the Town Halls on the island that they will not accept any golf courses among the new plans. The Town Halls need to put together their vision for the future of their respective municipalities within the next few months, and have been told by the minister, Miguel Ramon, that they will all be given careful consideration. However, he continued by stating that it was better that the people in charge modified their plans to coincide with the policies of the new regime, who will not permit any more golf courses being built on the island.

Compensation Starts
The shipping company, Iscomar, owners of the now infamous Don Pedro, have begun to pay out compensation to boats affected by the disaster. Nearly two hundred boat owners have submitted a claim for damages due to the effects of the fuel leak. The majority are based in Club Nautico, in Ibiza. The total bill for compensation could reach a staggering 360,000 after initial figures were agreed. The maximum payout will be to boats of over twenty metres who will receive 90 per metre. Boats of between 11-19 metres will be granted 80, while vessels under that will be awarded 70 per metre. Although the potential compensation figure could run to 360,000, it is more likely to be much lower as the majority of the boats affected were less than ten metres.

Road Subsidy
The new president of the Govern Balear, Francesc Antich, announced on Wednesday that the subsidy agreed by the previous Consell has been approved, and that the payment of 70million will be available by next month. The money is to be spent on improving the road infrastructure, which will include building pavements and bicycle lanes. In his speech to mark the start of the San Ciriac festival in Ibiza Town, he also confirmed that the first payment for the new hospital would be agreed in either the first or second meeting of September, allowing the Consell to move ahead with their plans.
The president of the Consell Insular, Xico Tarres, said that the money was vital to continue improving the road network on the island, allaying fears of mass construction as seen over the last four years, by claiming that the roads built would have to fit into the context of these wonderful islands.

Lane Restriction
The heavy rain on Wednesday temporarily cut off the tunnel on the Ibiza-Airport road next to Can Cifre. The downpour caused one of the lanes to flood, severely restricting traffic. The problem occurred at 2a.m. which coincided with the end of the fireworks, and meant that the roads were busier than normal. It is not the first time that this segment of road has had trouble after heavy rain, and the situation was not helped by the fact that fire crews failed to appear, despite being called on several occasions.

Long Delay
The ship, Manuel Azana, run by the company, Balearia, suffered a delay of three hours in her journey from Denia to Ibiza, because of boats illegally anchored at the entrance to the port of Ibiza. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning as the boat, having completed the journey from Denia, tried to enter the marina. However, the ship was unable to do so due to a twelve foot boat that had been anchored at the entrance.
This is not the first time that there has been such an incident, and the mooring of recreational boats in the area is not uncommon. However it is strictly forbidden by the Port Authorities. The boat in question was removed and the owner has been fined 150,000 euros. His boat will remain in possession of the authorities until the fine is paid.

Tomato Crop Fears
The Consell Insular announced on Thursday that they had discovered a case of Tomato Moth in a farm in es Canar. The caterpillar-like insect, which originates from South America, was thought to have been eradicated from the island several years ago. Agriculture Minister, Marga Torres, said that the crop was being studied in two farms, after another suspected case later in the week in San Antonio.
The Tomato Moth is considered highly dangerous to tomato crops, as it is extremely difficult to control. The insect, which is just a centimetre in length, will lay eggs within the tomato which, when they hatch, will feed on the inside of the fruit. Torres was quick to point out that nothing had yet been confirmed, but warned tomato growers on the island to be vigilant.

Flight Rethink
The Govern Balear has announced a proposal to completely reorganise the flight programme to and from the Balearics. Their proposal includes even cheaper flights and far greater frequency, especially from the airports of Ibiza and Minorca. The announcement was made on Friday by the new minister in charge of the programme, Gabriel Vicens. He said that a meeting was being arranged with all the parties involved, both private and public, and he hoped a new arrangement could be agreed upon. He claimed that the current flight plan was fairly comprehensive, but that there was room for improvement.

Compensation Delays
It was revealed last week that there are still around 300 people who have not been compensated for the road building project which began two years ago. The designers of the project, which included the widening of the Ibiza-San Antonio road and the Ibiza-Airport road, had to repossess a great deal of land in order for the project to go ahead. Many of these people (it is estimated that there are over 500 affected) have still not been paid what they are legally due.
The road building created great controversy when it first came to light several years ago. The gripe of most people was the vast amount of houses, many of them hundreds of years old, which were going to have to be knocked down in the process. The Consell at the time had to forcefully expropriate a number of families, amid the protests. However, they claimed that those affected would be compensated appropriately.
This compensation process has stalled, and when the new Consell took over, there were still a large number of people who had not yet received what they were owed. This led the Consell to announce on Monday that the money has been prepared, and all of those affected would merely have to come to the Consell and fill out the appropriate forms. They claimed that the money had always been available, but that the previous administration had not made the information available to those affected. A spokesman said that this error would be rectified immediately, with a letter being sent out this week with the correct information inside.

Weather Delays
The extraction of fuel from the sunken ship Don Pedro ran into difficulties on Wednesday and had to be suspended for the rest of the week due to bad weather. So far just over seventy tonnes of fuel has been removed from the vessel which went down several weeks ago off the easterly coast of Ibiza after hitting a small island. The company in charge of the removal, the Dutch firm Weijsmuller Salvages, said that they would take their time and would not risk the loss of any more fuel. It is estimated that there is a total of about one-hundred and fifty tonnes of fuel in the ship, which is hoped will all be removed by the end of this week.

Cash and Carry Theft
The Punto Cash supermarket on the San Antonio-Ibiza road suffered a break-in over the weekend. Staff arriving to work at the cash-and-carry on Monday morning found the one of the doors forced open. They immediately called the police, who were quickly on the scene. Whilst the investigation continued, it was revealed that the thieves had got away with 90,000 in cash and eight televisions.

New Hospital Plans
Talks started this week regarding the new hospital which is planned for the island. The Consell Insular and the Town Hall of Ibiza have formed a special delegation of ministers and councillors who are to deal with all aspects of the new project. The group includes the health minister, Patricia Abascal, who announced that the hospital would have three hundred beds, almost double the current capacity.
It was confirmed that the hospital would be built next to the current installation, but it has yet to be decided if the land in front or to the side is to be used. Abascal said that for the time being they were not ruling out the option of a building with several different modules, which would enable the hospital to be open in stages.
She said that the new Can Misses would be vastly improved, with a far more efficient accident and emergency department, and the creation of a neuro-surgical department. She claimed that the medical needs of Ibiza were not just from the 125,000 inhabitants of the island, but also the high number of tourists in summer.
The delegation will head off for a meeting with the Govern Balear in Palma on 22nd August, to try and get the initial plans underway.

IBIZA TOWN

Beach Awareness
The Govern Balear has started its programme of sports tournaments on the beaches of Talamanca, ses Figueretas and Playa den Bossa in an attempt to raise awareness of the beaches affected by the oil spillage. Whilst the cleanup operation continues on just one beach, the Govern hopes to bring up to two hundred people per day to the area holding the event. It started very successfully, with a beach volleyball tournament on Tuesday in Playa den Bossa, which attracted two hundred and fifty youngsters. They have also planned to bring the beach volleyball champion of Spain, Manuel Carrasco, to the island to carry out some courses in the popular sport.

San Ciriac
Ibiza Town celebrated the bank holiday of San Ciriac on Wednesday with paella and a specially prepared loaf of bread, 16metres in length. The holiday which celebrates the conquering of the island by the Christian and Catholic troops in 1235, was marked by heavy rainfall throughout the day, which meant that many of the events planned had to be either cancelled, or moved.
It is traditional for everyone to gather at around midday in Puig des Molins, a bay on the coast of the town, where it is said that the first troops landed. The 1,000 people who turned up to celebrate the fiesta were treated to chicken and vegetable paella, courtesy of the Town Hall, and obviously some of the bread baked especially for the occasion by the bakery, Can Bufi.
The party ended at around 6p.m. but continued later in the old town, with the as always highly anticipated, firework display. There were fewer people than normal this year, as the rain put many people off. Although the spectacular display did go ahead as usual, there was a slight delay of around forty minutes due to the rain. However the weather could not dampen the spirits and those who did attend were treated to a spectacular show.

Pilot Town
It was revealed on Thursday that Ibiza Town is to be used by the Govern Balear to try out several new pilot schemes. The minister for new projects at the Govern, Margarita Najera, said that she had been very impressed by the openness of the Town Hall, and their willingness to try out new projects.
The schemes proposed were, for the time being, kept under wraps, but would include better designed courses for the unemployed, a project to try and increase the length of the season, and the access of work placement schemes for youngsters. Once these projects have been finalised, and the funding is place, they will be set up in the capital to judge their success.

SAN ANTONIO

Profits Fall
Fort-two per cent of businesses surveyed in San Antonio have revealed that their turnover in July had fallen in comparison to last year. Of these businesses, the average decrease was 21 per cent. The results were described as alarming, as they continued to show that only 16 per cent of businesses reported a higher turnover than last year. The falls were blamed on the continuing arrival to the municipality of tourism only interested in night-time activities. Shopkeepers urged the Town Hall to try and improve this type of tourism, which was killing local businesses.

Noise Regulation
The Town Hall of San Antonio revealed that it would continue with its crackdown on noise levels in the city-centre, by introducing stricter laws. The administrations representative, Josep Ramon Serra Pilot, said that he hoped the new regulations would be in place by next year, and would put an end to the constant noise pollution that the centre of the town suffers every summer. He said that police had already been instructed to clampdown down on those breaking the existing laws, and so far four establishments had been closed down, although they have all now reopened their doors. He claimed that the new laws had the backing of the entire party and residents alike, and was part of the ongoing crackdown to try and control a situation which had got out of hand in recent years.
The crackdown continued over the weekend as local police fined six supermarkets for selling alcohol outside the permitted hours. Pilot said that over one hundred and forty leaflets had been distributed to warn shops about the clampdown in the law. He continued by saying that everyone had their licence and their specific opening hours, which had to be adhered to. The fines will vary from 1,500 to a maximum of 65,000 euros.

Rubbish Claims
The opposition party have criticised the Town Hall of San Antonio, stating that they are incapable of keeping the municipality clean during the summer months. They claimed that the various beaches, streets and gardens in the area were constantly dirty, and that the company in charge of the street cleaning was not fulfilling the obligations of their contract. They said that there was a lack of containers on the streets, and that the wastepaper bins planned for the newly completed city centre streets had yet to be installed.
Whilst applauding the Town Halls recycling campaign, they said that not enough was being done to encourage citizens to recycle waste, especially in the town centre.

Market Success
The market which takes place behind the church in San Antonio, (Mercat de sas Places), has been deemed a success after its first month in operation. The market sparked controversy among local businesses when the idea was first announced. They said that the stall holders would be selling exactly the same items which could be found in local shops, and therefore said that the market was merely taking business away from them. However, the Town Hall pushed ahead with the project, and on its one month anniversary the market was said to be evolving favourably. A spokesman for the administration said that local businesses had reported a considerable increase in numbers within the area, and that it seemed to be attracting a slightly more affluent crowd.
The Town Hall is to continue with the market, and are preparing to put a banner at the entrance to the town, as well as distributing leaflets to all the tourist centres around the municipality, to try and increase awareness.

SAN JOSE

Beach Patrol
The new team in charge of keeping the beaches of San Jose safe was finally unveiled on Thursday. After a delayed and unnecessarily complicated bidding process, the company, UTE, finally won the job. UTE will receive 257,333 euros per year to look after the eleven beaches within the municipality from 1st May 31st October. The new team presented to the public included 28 staff members, 3 lifeboats, 2 jeeps and a quad bike.
The categories of the different beaches in San Jose were also revealed. Ses Salinas is, at the moment, the only beach classed as high risk, simply because of the vast number of users that it has, whilst Cala Bassa, Playa den Bossa, Cala Vadella, Cala Tarida and Cala Conta were all classed as medium risk beaches. The rest are all considered low risk.

Boat Rescue
The quick thinking of several bathers ensured that no damage was done, after a boat beached in Cala Jondal on Tuesday. The incident occurred at around midday, after heavy currents caused the anchor of the twelve-metre boat to slip. The boat was taken away from the dangerous rocks, and safely anchored in the bay.

SANTA EULALIA

Can Blai
The Consell of Ibiza announced on Tuesday that they plan to move in 53 new patients to the Can Blai residence from September of this year. The home for Alzheimer sufferers in Santa Eulalia hit the headlines earlier in the year, after complaints from relatives of residents about the poor care being provided for their loved ones. The ensuing scandal ended with the resignation of all of the doctors and nursing staff at the institution. The situation became so severe that the Consell eventually had to send their own administrators into the home to take over the reins.
The home has a capacity for 94 patients. There are currently 24 being cared for. The new influx of patients will be made progressively, and should be done by December.

Youth Day
Youngsters in Santa Eulalia had the opportunity to resolve their most consequential concerns this Sunday, after the Town Hall organised an event dedicated solely to the young people of the municipality. The event was organised to coincide with International Youth Day, which prompted the Councillor for Youth and Fiestas, Salvador Sala Mari, to come up with the idea for the event. The day started with activities, including swimming and football competitions near the river. Workshops were then set up, so that the issues that most concerned youngsters could be openly discussed. Some of the more popular subjects included the current housing problem in Ibiza due to the extremely high cost of living, and the problems faced by students who want to carry on their studies on the island.

Wobbly Roads
The recently finished road from Santa Eulalia to San Mateu will have to be repainted this month, after the new road markings were described as dangerous by local residents. For reasons that remain unclear, the markings down the centre of the road separating the two lanes have not been painted onto the road straight, and in large sections actually zig-zag substantially. The mistake is a great source of amusement for most road users who, for the time being, will have to obey the temporary lanes.

FORMENTERA

August Excess
The minister for tourism at the new Consell in Formentera, Josep Mayans Costa, has expressed his fears about the concentration of tourism during the peak season. Formentera will report better-than-ever figures as far as numbers are concerned, but he revealed that the season is becoming shorter and shorter. He continued by saying that something had to be done to try and improve the months of May, September and October, and although the season may currently be long enough for the larger hotels to survive, both smaller businesses and employees were finding it hard to continue.
Costa revealed that the reliance of Formentera on the Italian market was still significant, but said that the Spanish sector was now becoming more important. He claimed that the recent promotion undertaken by the authorities on the mainland was starting to have an effect, and had woken up interest, especially in Catalonia.

Ministry Clampdown
The ministry for the environment of Formentera claimed last week that they were intensely studying a tax which will be applied to all boats entering the waters around the island. It is estimated that around four thousand people arrive daily on the island aboard private boats. The Consell is studying some way in which the boats can be taxed, in order to cover the negative impact that the visitors have on the coastal areas. The plans are still in the very early stages, but a private company will probably be used to collect the tax. It is hoped that the programme could be introduced as early as next year, although the plan needs to be discussed first with the environmental department at the Govern Balear, who are due to visit the island towards the end of the month.
The head of the environmental department on the island, Silvia Tur, also confirmed that there would be a clampdown on illegal motor sports, and the misuse of public concessions. She claimed that she was aware of several companies operating illegal aquatic sports on the most popular beaches, without the appropriate licences. She confirmed that the situation was now out of control, and promised that those found guilty would be heavily fined.
She also said that she wanted to put a stop to the reservation system for sun-beds on the more exclusive beaches of the island. She claimed that the practice was illegal, and that the sun-beds were for public use, and strictly on a first come, first serve basis.

Car Death
The Italian youth who suffered an horrific road accident in Formentera last week has lost his fight for life. The deceased was involved in an accident last Thursday, with a friend. He was immediately rushed to the new hospital on the island before eventually being transferred to the Vilas private clinic. However, despite several emergency operations the man died on Monday afternoon. His friend remains in hospital in a critical condition.

Illegal Camping
Inspectors from the newly formed Consell of Formentera discovered an illegal camping site whilst investigating a different case early last week. The team had originally been dispatched to try and clarify reports received about the lack of cleaning on several beaches. Whilst in the sa Torreta area they stumbled upon an illegal campsite which had been set up by the users of two motorboats moored close to the beach. The campsite included chairs, tables, parasols, sunbeds and various bags of cement. They had already used some of the cement to build a barbeque and several other smaller constructions. The site was immediately cleared, and the culprits identified. It was reported that they will receive a fine of anywhere between 6,000 and 30,000.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Drug Arrests
A police operation codenamed Da Vinci ended with the arrest of fourteen Italian youths, on Tuesday. The gang had been selling designer drugs in several of the islands most popular hot spots. The operation culminated in the detentions, and after searches of several properties in San Jose and Santa Eulalia, police found a wide array of drugs with a street value of around 50,000. They included 3,200 ecstasy tablets, 68 grams of granulated ecstasy, 3 litres of liquid ecstasy, 59 grams of cocaine and 86 grams of speed. There was also 3,600 in cash found at one of the premises.
Madrids representative to the island, Manuel Bar, said that the arrests were a major step forward in their fight against drugs. He revealed that most of the drugs had been brought to the island from Barcelona and Valencia in small quantities, by both air and sea.
However, on Wednesday, four of the arrested were released after it was revealed that they were Italian tourists who had stumbled into the property raided by police, in order to buy drugs for their month long stay on the island. Police insisted that the released would be controlled over the next few weeks, until the trial of the other detainees was heard.
Meanwhile the others will be held in prison on the island, without the chance of bail, until their trial is heard later in the year.

Boat Collision
The boat, Sorolla, owned by the ferry company, Acciona Transmediterranea, collided with another vessel moored in the new marina of Ibiza as it tried to turn and leave the port. The incident occurred at around 10a.m. as the Sorolla mis-judged a turning and collided head on into the bow of the twenty-six metre charter boat, Kenayl, which in turn hit the boat moored by its side. The damage was severe, and crew on the boat at the time claimed that if it had not been for the boat next to them, their vessel would have completely overturned. In total, four boats were damaged in the incident.
This incident was followed on Saturday by a further collision, this time the fast ferry Jaume III. The ship was trying to manoeuvre her way out of the port in Ibiza when, due to a lack of space, it collided with the pier in the marina. The impact only caused minor damage but did mean delays of over four hours for the nearly one-hundred passengers on board.

Italian Critical
Two Italian tourists were injured, one seriously, when the moped that they were riding came off the road. The accident occurred at 5.15a.m on Friday morning on the Ibiza-San Antonio road. The cause of the accident remains unclear, as there were no witnesses, but police do not suspect that any other vehicles were involved. The two youths were attended to at the site of the accident by the emergency services, and both were rushed to the Vilas private hospital. One of the boys suffered a broken leg and was operated on immediately. He was said to be recovering well in the main hospital. However, the other boy suffered severe head injuries, and remains in a critical condition in intensive care.

Gang Arrested
Under an operation codenamed, Alhambra, officers of the Guardia Civil arrested twelve people on Thursday for the distribution and sale of fake goods. The arrests were said to have put an end to the most important network of this kind on the island. The officers had been led to the gang while they were investigating a man of North African descent on drugs offences.
The operation took the twist of fate, while officers were observing the man known as Norte. Suspicion had been aroused by the man because of his lavish lifestyle. He was known to drive a 45,000 Audi, and police began to investigate the source of this wealth at the beginning of the year. In May, Norte met up with a Senegalese man, whom police continued to follow. He, in turn, led them to several properties in Cala de Bou and ses Figueretes, which officers staked out for weeks. They soon grew suspicious of the constant movement of people to and from the properties, most carrying large bags. They decided to raid the properties last week, and discovered a wide range of fake goods of the most popular brands, including Chanel, Gucci, Oakley and RayBan, with a street value of around 25,000. Police also found a large quantity of hashish, which was also being distributed around the island. The men arrested were being held until a trial date could be set later in the year.

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Terrorist Demands
ETA looked likely to be continuing with its terror campaign, after it was revealed that it had begun a new wave of blackmailing local businesses in the Pais Vasco area. Several companies have received letters which demand, in threatening terms, a donation to the terrorist organisation. The campaign comes after the group abandoned its temporary ceasefire at the end of last year.
The president of the local business association, Jose Manuel Ayesa, urged owners to make it public when they had received a letter, and to not contemplate paying the outrageous demands.
The campaign shows just how desperate the terrorist organisation has become in recent months, after funding of the political wing of the group was cut just before the last elections. It is believed that ETA is struggling financially, and is making frenzied efforts to raise cash in a hurry.

Robin Hood Claim
Jaime Jimenez Arbe, known as the loner, and up until his arrest in Portugal last month, the most wanted criminal in Spain, has protested his innocence. Arbe, speaking through his lawyer, Jose Mariano Trill-Figueroa, said that he robbed banks to liberate the people from the institutions he was taking from, and denied killing three police officers in two separate robberies during the nineties. He claimed that he never normally used a gun in his robberies, and if at times, he did, it was for his own safety.
He went on to claim that the police officer killed in the first fatal robbery had been shot accidentally by a fellow officer. He then said that the two killed in the later robbery, in Navarra, had been shot by a fellow officer who had strong links with the Marseille mafia, for whom Arbe had been working. He said that he would not reveal the name of the murderer due to fears for his own life.
Arbe, for the time being, remains in a Portuguese prison whilst his extradition papers are prepared.

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