Who cleans up the sea? Almost eight tons of waste off the Balearic Islands — and the uncomfortable answers

Who cleans up the sea? Almost eight tons of waste off the Balearic Islands — and the uncomfortable answers

From Moll Vell you often see the same picture in the mornings: seagulls screech, the harbor crane rattles, and things drift in the bay that do not belong there. In September teams pulled almost eight tons of debris from the water — that is about 266 kilograms per day. A dinghy fights the waves, an old hull flashes rustily in the sun. Not a postcard, but everyday life.

Why Mallorca is particularly affected

Of the almost eight tons, about 4.3 tons came from the islands around Mallorca. The reason is obvious: dense shipping traffic, many marinas, recreational boats, ferries, and intensive coastal use. Currents pick up the debris and distribute it along the coves — from Cala Millor to Palma. Divers from smaller towns say they go out after work: “We collect because otherwise no one comes.” That may be commendable, but it is not a solution to a structural problem.

What was found — and what is often overlooked

The lists read familiarly: plastic bottles, nets, bags. In addition, bulky finds such as old boats, driftwood, and rusty metal parts. These items endanger marine animals: nets strangle, sharp edges injure. What does not appear in many figures, however, is microplastic — the tiny particles that result from degradation and accumulate in the food chain. This affects fisheries, gastronomy and ultimately all of us.

Who coordinates — and where the gaps lie

The port authority directs many operations, authorities coordinate, volunteers plug the gaps. Yet several problems often remain invisible: Who covers the costs of recovering large objects? Where should contaminated material go? Recycling? Many ports simply do not have the infrastructure to treat large or hazardous waste efficiently. Result: collecting is only the first step — and often the most expensive.

The key question remains: Who pays and who organizes the constant cleaning of the coasts?

Current practice relies on volunteers as a buffer. That is socially valuable but risky: volunteers take on dangerous work and are often personally liable. A permanent, reliable strategy must find other shoulders to bear the burden — municipalities, the state, port companies, commercial shipping and the tourism industry alike.

Concrete approaches instead of helplessness

There are practical options that should be discussed more often: firstly better prevention on land — less litter in towns, on promenades and in marinas means less in the water. This requires mandatory disposal stations in ports, clear acceptance guidelines and controls. Marina operators should be obliged to provide free disposal options for boat waste.

Secondly, financial and organisational solutions: a port fund, financed by fees from commercial shipping or a small levy on leisure boats, could cover recoveries and proper disposal. Recovering large objects quickly costs several thousand euros — from recovery to disposal in certified facilities. Without transparent financing the problem merely shifts elsewhere.

Technically, mobile collection boats that regularly run routes, similar to garbage trucks on land, are conceivable. Or specialised recovery crews contracted to work for ports and municipalities. For fishing nets, deposit systems could be considered: whoever buys nets pays a share into a repair and take-back fund.

What is missing in the public debate

We talk a lot about beach clean-ups and volunteer actions — and too little about structural costs, legal issues and recycling chains. Many municipalities do not know how to treat contaminated material. Often problematic materials collected end up at the municipal recycling center without special treatment. That merely shifts the problem onshore instead of closing it properly.

Short-term action, long-term structures

Volunteer efforts remain important — they are visible, motivating and often effective. Next week there will be another beach action: gloves, thermos, meeting point 10 a.m. — that is important and right. But we must not rely on people's good spirits. Mallorca needs clear rules, reliable funding and infrastructure in all ports.

The images remain: a crane slowly lifting an old boat hull, seagulls circling a plastic bag, and the quiet slap of water against the quay. These scenes should not only be alarm signals but a reason for concrete policy: better waste reception in marinas, a port fund, regular collection routes and binding obligations for shipping. Otherwise the sea will remain a mirror of what we have not sorted out on land.