CAPTAIN FACING FOUR YEAR JAIL-TERM
The captain of the boat, Capitan Nemo, from which a 21 year old Irishman jumped to his death, will face a total of four years in prison. The incident dates back to 31st July 2006.
Two men had been enjoying a sunset excursion which had begun at 7p.m. and taken in a number of beaches on the way. On their journey back to port, one of the men jumped into the water. Believing he had been given permission by the captain to dive off the ship, a second tourist, John Basile Bourke, also jumped into the sea, having just told a friend to look after his camera as the captain had given them permission to jump into the sea.
The former was eventually picked up by a boat, having swum about a mile, whilst Bourkes body was found 24 hours later floating in the sea close to Port des Torrent, after being spotted from the Seaview hotel.
The death made headline news back in Ireland due to the fact that the deceased was the nephew of the then Defence Minister, Willie O´Dea.
A post mortem later showed Bourke, who had been drinking heavily, had also taken a cocktail of drugs.
The captain of the boat was aware at least one of the youngsters had jumped overboard but decided not to stop, despite the pleas of some of the passengers. When he arrived back at port he cleaned the boat, with his crew, and then left the harbour. At no moment did he report what had happened or call the Maritime Rescue service.
The alarm was raised for the first time by a friend of the deceased at 4 a.m. after Bourke had failed to appear.
For his failure to act, the captain of the boat has been accused by the public prosecutor of manslaughter, an accusation that if found guilty could mean a four-year jail term. He is also facing fines of 18,000 for his failure to rescue the men overboard, 9,000 for each individual, as well as compensation of 100,000 to the parents of the deceased. He is also set to lose his captains license for at least five years.
The captain, in his defence, claimed he had not stopped the boat because he was told that only one person had jumped into the sea, and that he had successfully swum to shore.
A court date is to be set within the next few weeks.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Bus Success
The transport minister, Albert Prats, claimed towards the end of the week that the new bus services launched at the beginning of the season had been a success and would almost cover the cost of running the service. As part of his plans to improve public transport on the island, and to combat the problem of illegal taxis, the minister, in May, launched a number of bus services from the airport to several keys points around the island.
The trip to the capital, via San Jordi, has been the most successful with 23,749 passengers using the service in July. This is an average of 766 per day, 20 per journey. The high number of users of this service will ensure the route more than pays for itself.
The alternative service to the capital, this time via Playa den Bossa, also proved extremely popular, with 13,857 passengers making the journey throughout July. This works out at an average of 12.4 people per journey, again, enough to recover costs.
The route to San Antonio, via San Jose, also proved in high demand with 10,733 using the bus service last month. This is an average of 346 people per day, 12.3 per journey. However the high price of this service (76,000) will ensure the Island Council will be forced to pay out some money to cover costs, as Prats estimated they would recover just 50,000 from the sale of tickets.
The most worrying route to date has been that to es Canar, via Santa Eulalia. The Councillor revealed it had had just 1,632 users during the entire month, which worked out at a miserable 2.2 users per journey. On this route the Council will now be forced to pay most of the 96,500 costs, as ticket sales are not set to exceed 30,000.
However, Prats said he was very happy, on the whole, with the bus service and was convinced the number of users would increase after more promotion.
The stats were unveiled as the councillor showed off the new leaflet warning tourists of the dangers of pirate taxis. As reported last week, a total of 100,000 leaflets are to be handed out, as Prats fulfils his promise and begins to clampdown on unlicensed taxis. The pamphlet warns that many of the drivers in pirate taxis have often been drinking or have taken drugs before making their journeys, and most drive without insurance.
However, he lamented the difficulty of the task, claiming most of the drivers were foreigners and used hire cars to carry out the work, ensuring the fines dished out almost always went unpaid.
A total of 99 fines, all of 1,501, have so far been issued this year, as two specially trained investigators continue their work in locating the drivers. This mostly means waiting around in taxi queues, although the regular taxis have been helpful in reporting the registration numbers of those they believe are running an illegal taxi.
Despite the fines, Prats repeated that the best method, in his opinion, of combating the problem remained putting more licensed taxis on the street during the busiest months, claiming the tourists used them out of necessity and not through choice.

Green Plans
A number of environmental projects on the island could receive funding by the German tour operator, TUI, after talks began between the company and the powers that be at the Balearic Government. The president of TUI, Volker Bottcher, owners of both Thomson and First Choice, made the comments as he was explaining about a programme which had helped to set up an ecological park in Turkey. On being asked whether he would be interested in a similar project for Mallorca, Bottcher said he would be keen on promoting identical schemes on all of the Balearic Islands, all of which are extremely popular with TUI travellers.
The money will be raised via contributions made by customers of the company when they book their holiday. Since 2007 TUI has offered clients the opportunity to offset greenhouse gas emissions resulting from flights in cooperation with the myclimate foundation. This foundation facilitates tangible climate protection by means of supporting projects to achieve greenhouse gas reductions. Myclimate provides a conversion model showing TUI customers the proportional carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of the flight they are about to book, and the resulting amount of voluntary climate protection duty required to compensate for the CO2 proportion. The minimum donation is 20, with the company matching every bid made.

Dole Queue Grows
The negative news continued to filter through during the week, as the latest unemployment figures for the island showed a 10.75 per cent increase in those out of work, the highest July rise since 1987. At the end of the month there were a total of 5,025 unemployed people, figures which proved far worse than the Island Council had predicted. The rise occurred during a month which traditionally sees a fall in unemployment figures, and comes despite the increased activity in the hospitality industry on the island. The fall was once again blamed on the continued decrease in the construction industry. Worryingly, 7 out of every 10 of those joining the dole queue in July were foreigners, the majority from outside the EU.
The results were in line with those at national level, with a total of 2.4 million adults out of work, the highest levels since 1998.
The Town Halls across the island moved quickly to announce an increase in investment in public building through the winter, in an attempt to stave off the crisis. This will be especially true in the capital which is set to spend a total of 28.5 million over the next six months on a number of projects, including the new swimming pool complex currently being built in Can Misses, which alone will cost 10 million. 3.8 million will also be spent on a social housing project in Playa den Bossa.
Santa Eulalia is next on the list, but will spend a very much deflated 2.1 million on a number of smaller projects, headed by the restoration work planned for the old cinema building.
San Juan in turn will spend 1.7 million, with San Antonio planning to splash out 1.2 million before the end of the year. Not surprisingly, the cash-strapped Town Hall of San Jose will be spending the least, not even managing to break the 1 million barrier.

Holiday Length Decrease
It seems the two week holiday has very much become a thing of the past according to the latest figures from the hotel federation. In July the average holiday fell by half a day from last year, and is now down to 6.9 days.
A spokesman for the association said the difference between hotels who worked with tour operators and those working with internet companies and direct bookings was marked. The classic tour operator, although having diversified a little over the last few years, mainly offers holidays of 5, 7, 10 and 14 nights. However, the average stay of an internet customer is usually far less.
There was also a big difference in the length of stay for the Spanish and foreign markets, with non-Spanish visitors staying an average of 7.2 nights during July, whilst the Spanish market managed just 3.9 nights.
The new phenomenon is especially affecting bookings from Monday-Thursday, with the weekends normally packed out.
However, it was better news for the ports in the capital with both Marina Ibiza and Botafoc claiming they were both 100 per cent full for the July/August period. It was not such good news for the ports of Santa Eulalia and Formentera who claimed they were 10 and 20 per cent down respectively.
Benito Salvatierra, who runs the port in Santa Eulalia which has a capacity for 755 boats, explained that normally the port would be full from 15th July to 31st August, something which had not happened this year, due, in his opinion, to the economic crisis, suggesting that people were docking in local bays to save harbour costs.

New Moves
The Red Cross is to introduce a new search and find technique to some of the more popular beaches on the island. The system will involve all those who request it, especially children, being given a bracelet on which their name is written and a phone number of the person responsible for them. A description of the wearer will also be written down, as well as the tower the bracelet was given out. In case someone then gets lost, all the lifeguard has to do is take him to the point the bracelet was issued, or just call the number on the band.
Similarly, if a child is reported lost lifeguards are able to tell their colleagues who to look out for, as well as giving the description which has been written in a log book.
The Red Cross reported a total of 54 people were reported lost last year on the beaches they patrol, 43 of whom were children.
The new facility will be offered by the group on the following beaches Cala Llonga, Playa de Santa Eulalia, Cala Martina, es Canar, Cala Nova, Cala Llenya, Cala de Boix, es Figueral, sa Cala de San Miguel, Portinax, Benirras, Port de San Miguel, Cala Saladeta, Cala Saladea, Cala Gracio, Cala des Moro, s´Arenal and es Pouet.

Ferré Appeal
The Island Council announced last week that the three hotels of the controversial chain, Grupo Playa Sol, which currently have a closure order against them, would be unlikely to be closed before the end of the season. A spokesman for the office of Joan Serra Mayans, who was on holiday last week, said it was unlikely the orders would be carried out before the end of the year, and if the owner, Fernando Ferré, appealed against the decision, it may take even longer.
The three hotels in question are the hotel Catalina in San Antonio, Mare Nostrum in Playa en Bossa, and the San Remo in Cala de Bou. The Council has already started the forced closure of the first and third establishment, but this is unlikely to be completed during the next three months.
Concerning the Catalina hotel, sources confirmed the necessary authorisation to operate had been withdrawn, meaning the business was currently open without the necessary permission. The necessary procedures to close the property were currently being put in place, but were unlikely to be resolved before the end of the season.
Despite this Ferré could still appeal the decisions, something he did successfully several years ago when appealing against closure orders against the Panoramic and Tropical Gardens hotels, both located in Ibiza Town.

Money Demands
The president of the Island Council confirmed last week he was confident of getting the money necessary from the Balearic Government to finance projects on the island over the next few years. His comments came during the presidents annual speech to mark the 8th August, San Ciriaco, holiday.
The Balearic Government is set to receive a total of 2,800 million from Madrid to help finance public work. There has been continued debate over the last few months about how much will be forwarded on to the island. However, Tarres revealed on Friday that he had asked for between 12% -18% of the total, which would mean anything from 336 to 504 million.
He also demanded that all projects destined for Ibiza needed to be both designed and planned from within the island, his comments clearly criticising the road building fiasco which was planned in Madrid. He claimed that no-one knew the needs of the islanders better than the residents themselves, and the new projects which were to be undertaken over the next few years needed to come from think-tanks based on the island.
The Balearic Government has come in for much criticism over the years from Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera for not fairly dividing up the subsidies handed out from Madrid. Several months ago Tarres accused Mallorca of keeping most of the money, whilst tossing just a few bones in the direction of the smaller islands.

Electric Record
In line with predictions made at the beginning of the year, 7th August saw a record amount of electricity being used on the island. The figure, which surpassed that of 3rd August 2006, occurred at 9.35 p.m. and saw consumption reach 194.3 megawatts. GESA announced this new record could be beaten again over the next two weeks, whilst confirming that consumption was following the same patterns as in previous years.

This Way
On Friday the councillor for tourism, Pepa Mari, announced a complete overhaul of the signage across the island. She claimed that the disorganised distribution of road signs currently made it impossible for most tourists to find their way around. She blamed both the businesses, for putting up the signs, and the Town Halls who had issued the licences, claiming a complete renovation was needed.
She claimed that the first phase of the plan was currently underway and that a company was studying the main places of interest which would be signposted. This would include hotels and restaurants of a certain category, although it would be impossible to include all businesses in the project.
These signs would be put on main roads and not in the centre of towns and villages, although the entrance to all of these would now come with a list of places of interest to visit.

Recycling Increase
The first six months of the year have seen a sharp rise in the amount of recycled rubbish, due mostly to the promotional campaigns of the Island Council. The most spectacular rise has been seen in the recycling of plastics (the yellow container), which was the last to be installed. This may explain the small amount being recycled, because although it experienced the biggest rise, the total is still way behind that of glass and paper/carton recycling. The councillor in charge of the environment, Albert Prats, explained this may have something to do with the mis-information about what can actually be put in the yellow container.
Plastic recycling rose by 141 per cent from January to June, with a total of 834 tonnes of cans, tins and plastic collected.
The recycling of glass also experienced a sharp rise, with 1,223 tonnes collected, 23 per cent more than last year.
However, whilst paper/carton remained the most popular form of recycling, the actual amount collected fell slightly by 3.37 per cent to a total of 2,243 tonnes. This was put down to a fall in the sale of electro-domestic products, the cartons of which are a housewifes favourite form of recycling.
Prats underlined the importance of educating the public and explained the waste tip currently being used at Ca na Putxa only had another twenty years of life, if non-recyclable rubbish continued to be collected at the current rate.
For your information the following can be put in a yellow container - food, drink, and pet food cans - washed and squashed if possible. Empty aerosol cans, plastic bottles, drinks cartons and Tetra Paks all with their tops removed and squashed if possible.

Photo Shoot
Last month saw the release of Pleasure Island the astonishing new photo-book by Jocelyn Bain Hogg. The photos from this highly acclaimed author document the people and performers, the music and madness, of a typical summer in Ibiza. Hogg chose a number of famous clubs to shoot the pics, as well as the Ibiza Rocks festival.
Pleasure Island is the definitive photographic guide to Ibiza and 21st century partying; and Bain Hoggs photos brilliantly both consider and celebrate the nature of modern pleasure.
Norman Cook, infamous visitor to the island for many years explained:
'These photos tell the story of two tribes meeting up and mutually entertaining each other. Good fun was had by all and Jocelyn was there to capture it.'

IBIZA TOWN
Don Clean
The debate concerning the refloating of the Don Pedro continued last week with the man in charge of the expedition which has taken a number of samples from the sea bed, claiming it would probably be better to leave the vessel where it was. Jose Luis Lopez-Jurado and his team of experts from the Institute of Oceanographers have spent the last ten days taking samples from all around the area. Although everything will now be taken to their base in Vigo for further studies, the man in charge said that, in his opinion, the boat contaminated the ocean far less than, for instance, a recently painted boat. He added that the high number of vessels using the waters around the island were also causing significantly more pollution. Attempting to take it out of the water would involve a number of complications, and the activity to successfully extract the boat would more likely cause more contamination than the Don Pedro could ever produce.
He praised the rapid action of the authorities in cleaning the boat, which included removing all of the electric cables and light-bulbs.
His comments came as a boost to the growing lobby which now believes the boat should stay where it is, potentially creating a spectacular dive site which would bring a huge number of new visitors to the island.
However, Lopez was quick to point out that, although the decision would be based on his institutes report, the final word rested with the authorities.

Afters Protest
Monday afternoon saw an impromptu march through the streets of the capital in protest at the new legislation which has put an end to after-hour parties on the island. At its peak around 300 people joined the procession which was, in the main, very peaceful.
Although no one claimed responsibility for organising the unofficial march, the banners of a number of clubs could be seen at the forefront of the procession, which was advertised via text messages.
Police officers arrived during the event and persuaded the group to keep moving, although a number of main roads, including Isidor Macabich, were closed for around an hour.
The new legislation, which was introduced this year by the Island Council and all of the Town Halls, means that all clubs have to close their doors at 6a.m. and not open again until 4p.m. therefore wiping out daytime clubbing.

SAN ANTONIO
Litter Fines
The councillor in charge of beaches at the Town Hall of San Antonio, on Tuesday, announced a crackdown against those littering public beaches. The move came after Maria Jose Sanchez claimed some people were treating the beaches of the municipality like a rubbish tip. She said that despite all the recent publicity to raise peoples awareness, it seemed the only way forward was now to punish people where it hurt, the pocket. She added fines would now be put in place to penalise those caught littering, whilst revealing that the situation had now become so bad that public cleaners were being forced to pass certain beaches three times a day to ensure they were being kept clean.
The announcement came as the Town Hall received an official complaint by the neighbourhood association complaining about the ineffectiveness in the cleaning of the municipalitys streets. They claim the company carrying out the service is forced to concentrate on the West End, leaving other roads around the centre not swept.

Crackdown Continues
The Town Hall of San Antonio continued with their tough new legislation on bars and clubs by sealing off the music systems of three bars, two of which are in the West End and the other in avenida doctor Fleming. Councillor Josep Serra Pilot claimed the action had been taken because none of the bars possessed a café-concierto licence, but all had disc-jockeys playing music, which exceeded the 65 decibel limit. All will now face fines of between 6,000 and 60,000, and will also have to draw up a project before permission is given to play music.
Pilot also announced a number of terraces across the municipality had been checked, after some were said to have exceeded, by around double, the actual terrace space permitted.

SAN JOSE
Parties Raided
Police in San Jose broke up a further two illegal parties during the week as the authorities continued in their crackdown of after hours. Police were called to the first on Tuesday morning on the ses Salinas rode at a bar known as el ToroMar. Police informed the owner of the bar that his licence to operate had expired and sent the party-goers on their way. They claimed there were up to 120 vehicles in the area at the time.
The second, on a much smaller scale, was stopped on the same morning at a house in Cala Llentrisca. Officers said the party was an afters and had been organised under the logo of a famous island club night, the same one used several weeks ago at Pikes hotel. Police revealed they had managed to get hold of the owner of the property, but did not reveal if he had been fined.

Return of the Stain
The greenish/yellow stain which has been seen regularly in the waters around Cala Tarida, last week appeared in Cala Vadella. The authorities were alerted to the slick by local businesses in the area and sent specialists down to test the water. After observing the area the Town Hall confirmed it was dealing with the same innocuous algae that regularly makes an appearance in Cala Tarida.
A spokesman for the Town Hall said that regular testing, which began in 1998, showed the slick was due to the algae Alexandrium Taylori, which is produced by a sexual reproduction taking place during a motile phase and producing two daughter cells which remain temporarily attached in pairs giving the sea a yellowish/green tinge.
However, he confirmed that the water was completely safe for bathers, but added the Town Hall would continue testing to ensure the safety of swimmers in the area.

SANTA EULALIA
Theatre Building
The contract to restore the old Teatro Espana in Santa Eulalia has been won by the Ferrovial company. The Town Hall is hoping the work, which will cost in the region of 2 million, can get underway at the end of the tourist season and be finished during 2009.
The work will involve restoring the old theatre and installing a minimum of 200 seats, whilst adapting the building to the new regulations of fire safety and disabled facilities.
The foyer of the building will be multi-functional and will be adapted so that it can also be used for exhibitions.

CRIME & INCIDENTS
Bank Arrests
Police believe they have found the gang responsible for at least three major bank robberies on the island. Officers revealed last weekend they had captured a total of four Italian men suspected of robbing the Banca March on three separate occasions, leaving the banking industry in Ibiza on edge.
The first robbery took place last year at the branch in San Antonio. This was by far the gangs most successful raid and ended with 44,500 being taken. The gang waited almost a year before carrying out a second robbery, on 24th June, which took place in Jesus. This was on a much smaller scale and resulted in 4,607 being stolen.
The final attack occurred on 1st July at the companys main headquarters in Ibiza Town. The thieves made it away with 20,080.
The modus operandi of the gang was very similar each time. Police believed they observed the bank for a few days before the attack, noting the busiest times of day and, more importantly, where the bigger notes were being stored. When they were ready to swoop, one of the men would enter the bank disguised in a baseball cap and sunglasses. This ensured neither the cameras, security staff or customers were later able to give a clear description. He would threaten staff using a replica gun, before taking off with the loot.
Outside the bank the mans accomplice would be waiting on a moped to drive the thief to safety. They always used a stolen moped which was eventually dumped as the men were picked up again, this time by a car, to complete their getaway.
Police launched an investigation after the first attack but the investigation seemed to have stalled until a recent raid on a property, led to the discovery of the weapons used in the attack, as well as fake identities and a small quantity of drugs. Officers were unwilling to disclose what led them to the apartment.
The four Italians arrested were between 23 and 32 years of age. However, three of the men were soon released on bail, whilst the supposed head of the gang remains in prison while the investigation continues, with police unable to rule out further arrests.

Tragic Accident
A 47 year old Spanish man suffered a serious accident after a head-on collision with another vehicle in Cami Vell de Sany Mateu. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, and was being blamed on the poor state of the road. It appears the injured man, riding a moped, collided with a car, as both came to a bend in the road. The car made an erratic movement to try and avoid a pothole in the road. In doing so he collided with the moped which was thrown into the forested area beside the road. The car then collided with a stone wall and overturned.
Emergency services were soon on the scene and both men were rushed to Can Misses. Doctors later revealed that as a result of the accident the driver of the moped had to have an arm and a leg amputated. They explained that the patient was being prepared to be transported to Palma by air ambulance, but due to a shortage of time the operation had to be carried out here. He is said to be in a stable condition.
The driver of the car suffered only minor injuries and was released soon afterwards.
The Town Hall of San Antonio came in for heavy criticism earlier in the month, due to the state of the roads in the area. However, despite ignoring the situation for months, they decided to tarmac the road in question and several others in the area the day after the accident. Just a little too late in this case.

Here You Go!
A 24 year old Irish woman was arrested last week, in possession of 100 ecstasy tablets. The incident occurred as the woman was trying enter a popular club in the Playa den Bossa area with seven friends, also all Irish. As is usually the custom the doorman asked her whether she was carrying any drugs, and to his surprise the woman replied in the affirmative and produced a bag with the tablets inside from her bra. The doorman quickly called the police who were soon at the club to make the arrest.
The woman claimed the tablets were for personal use and that she and her friends had agreed to buy 20 tablets for their night out. However the dealer made them a special offer, presumably because the sales are currently in progress, and offered the girls 100 tablets at a knockdown price of 250. They accepted and bought the drugs.
The woman spent just one night in jail before her father flew in to the island and paid the bail which had been set at 4,000 by the judge. The girl gave the names of all of her friends, all of whom had been located and questioned, and are all due to appear in court this week.
It is not known why the woman showed the drugs to the doorman, but the public prosecution service claimed many people thought the selling and consumption of drugs within Spain, was legal.

Positive Tests
The crackdown on drink-driving on the island continued as three people were arrested within a few hours of each other last weekend. Two of the drivers were five times over the limit, with one having fled the scene of an accident.
The news came as figures showed a total of 269 people had been arrested across the Balearics for driving under the influence, 133 of which were in Ibiza.

Postmortem Results
It was revealed at the beginning of the week that the man who died after consuming a lethal cocktail of drugs and alcohol received medical attention inside the club, Space, just hours before his death. It was first reported that the man refused medical help from the emergency services after being discovered close to the 5aside football pitch, next to the Playa den Bossa hotel. However, sources at the health authority, Ib-Salut, confirmed he had been unconscious when medical staff first arrived and was therefore unable to refuse their help.
It later emerged he had been treated by the private company which provides medical assistance inside Space, as well as many other clubs. The 33 year old Spanish man, originally from the Canaries, is said to have ignored medical advice to go to the hospital, and signed a medical release form. He was found unconscious by a hotel security guard just hours later.
An investigation has been opened, with the Public Defender reminding the company of their right to treat the patient, or take him to a medical centre, even against his own will.
An initial post-mortem confirmed there were no signs of violence, and showed he had died after suffering a coronary arrest. Further tests will now be carried out on the mainland to discover exactly what caused the attack.
The news came as Can Misses confirmed they were currently dealing with around three drugs cases per day over the weekend period.

Brit Attack
A British tourist was arrested on Tuesday after causing damage to the hotel where he was staying, and injuring an officer of the Guardia Civil. They were called to the Ibiza Mar hotel in San Antonio after the guest arrived back after a night out and began causing a disturbance inside the property, as well as letting off several fire extinguishers. He then continued his rampage on the roof.
When officers arrived the man tried to make his escape, injuring one officer in the nose and arm, in the process.
The man remains in jail, with the public prosecutor calling for a one year jail term.

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