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10 TIMES FEWER JELLYFISH IN MAR MENOR

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Contributor / 2007-08-13 15:44:54

This summer so far, an average 3,600kg of jellyfish have been removed from the Mar Menor every day. This may sound like a lot, but it is actually almost 10 times less than last year when there were 31,400kg, and in 2003 it was up to 80 tonnes.

Regional Minister for Fishing and Farming, Antonio Cerdá, visited the area on Tuesday praising the results of the last few years’ campaigns. The campaign has been a joint project of the Consejería’s Marine Resource Centre and the Murcia Oceanographic Centre. They have concentrated on the adult jellyfish population to prevent their reproduction.

43km of nets have been placed between the area for boats and that for bathers costing 635,000€. Cerdá reminded that any areas that wished to keep the nets in place beyond the 15th September when the campaign ends would be able to do so.

Contamination from the sewage treatment plant at Los Alcázares, Los Urrutias has led to the highest concentration there. It is from nearby that the three San Pedro fishing vessels are based and transfer the examples they have caught onto the boat ‘B.I.O. Mur’ using a crane. Then at the local military base they are ground up and buried. Since the creatures are 99% water, their remains quickly decompose as organic matter.

Despite the success, Cerdá reminded that there, always have been, and will be some jellyfish in the Mar Menor. He also noted that the area has become a point of reference for dealing with such plagues with other Communities following their example.

Tags: Jellyfish