Marine Emergency plan for Torrevieja

Torrevieja's Emergency Port Plan takes shape

MARINE TOURISM in Torrevieja has recently received a major boost with nine of the major business centres plus the Department of Tourism joining forces to develop a strong ‘Club’ to work together and develop this important sector however the port area lacks a major component, an Emergency Plan for Accidental Marine Pollution. At present, the Port of Torrevieja lacks this ‘Plan de Emergencias para la Contaminación Marina Accidental’ but local maritime authorities, in conjunction with the Maritime Authority of Alicante and the Ministry of Development have been working hard towards fulfilling all of the required regulations.

The law makes it mandatory that each and every Spanish port have different and individual plans of action. For ports with international traffic, as is the case of Torrevieja, with the fleet of Salt Ships, in addition this plan should be supplemented by Code Ship and Port Facility. One of the first steps that the port of Torrevieja is working on is for each yacht club to have an interior plan in case of accidental marine pollution emergencies. Once completed, these individual plans must be integrated into the plan of the port. Those with plans include Real Club Náutico, the Varadero de Marina Internacional, Club Náutico Marina Internacional and at the Marina Salinas.

Torrevieja’s port annually receives up to 150 merchant ships, coming mainly for the export of salt produced in the town, which is distributed throughout the world. Torrevieja’s Maritime District also includes the marine facilities of Guardamar del Segura, Torre de la Horadada, Dehesa de Campoamor, Cabo Roig and Torrevieja itself, and annually registers about 15,000 movements of ships, mainly sports and recreation, but also the fishing fleet, as confirmed by Port Captain Óscar Villar Serrano. With this amount of marine activity, it is becoming more important than ever that an emergency plan is put into place.

According to Serrano “Despite the security measures taken towards accident prevention, there is always room for a materialized risk and immediate response is necessary for us to control.” The most important aspect of the plan is the coordination between different sectors. That is the work of the emergency plan within the port of Torrevieja.

Keith Nicol