SIX popular beaches in Ibiza are contaminated with high levels of poo just as tourists start to return after the coronavirus lockdown, tests have found.
Environmental officials launched an investigation on the famous Balearic party island, off the east coast of Spain, after taking 48 samples from beaches last year.
The Observatory of Sustainability in Ibiza commemorated World Ocean Day yesterday by sharing the test results.
Illegal quantities of faeces were found on six beaches in Ibiza – a problem both for beachgoers and animals living by the coast or in the sea – which led to the ban of bathing.
A press release released by the Observatory said: “Six [beaches] were shown to have quantities of faecal contamination superior to those legally permitted, which led to the prohibition of bathing.”
The beaches in question were Talamanca, Bahia de Sant Antoni, Escollera de Sant Antoni, Es Pouet, Port de Sant Miquel and Platges de Comte.
Data from the Ibiza water board said: “In 2010 all the samples analysed were excellent and ten years later solo 31 samples achieved this classification.”
The Observatory added: “The decrease in the quality of the water in Ibiza highlights the lack of current infrastructure.
“They are incapable of facing up to the increase of visitors in the high season.”
The group said the only way to improve this situation and protect the marine life on the coast is to “improve the sanitation and depuration and carry out a strict vigilance through quality controls.”
According to local media, the issue of untreated toilet waste being pumped into the sea is an ongoing problem in many seaside resorts in Spain.
A recent report by the European Agency for the Environment found that 97,2 per cent of the beaches tested were under the minimum levels of contamination.
Those who were reported to have unacceptable water quality were found to contain levels of Escherichia Coli (la bacteria E. Coli) and Intestinal enterococcus in levels which could be harmful to human health.
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