Cleaning boats launched to help keep the bathing waters of eastern Costa del Sol pristine

The peak summer holiday season is here. On Monday, 16 June, the president of the Mancomunidad association Eastern Costa del Sol-Axarquia municipalities, Jorge Martin, was joined by councillors and officials responsible for the towns that fall within Mancomunidad, to launch the cleaning service of bathing waters in much of the Axarquia coastline for this summer. There will be a dozen boats to serve the coastlines of Vélez-Málaga, Torrox, Algarrobo and Nerja. Rincón de la Victoria has its own service, which is fully financed by the town hall.

Officially, the service will run until 15 September. "However, the contract provides that, if the intervention of a boat is necessary during the rest of the year for any emergency 24 hours a day, we can count on it. In total, there will be ten boats that will cover the coastline of Vélez-Málaga, Algarrobo, Torrox and Nerja from 10am to 8pm," said Martin.

"The Mancomunidad is responsible for managing this extremely important service for the coastal municipalities, but also for the whole region, as the residents of all its villages bathe in them," he said, highlighting the quality of the water, clean sandy beaches and the services provided as the main attractions for visitors.

Mancomunidad awarded the contract, worth 298,779.84 euros (IVA sales tax included), to Servimar Axarquía in 2022, with possibility of extending it for three years. The spokesperson for tourism Jesús Pérez Atencia, explained that "the boats will be operational from Monday to Sunday, including public holidays, from 11am to 8pm in Vélez-Málaga and Algarrobo; until 7pm in Torrox. Nerja has changed its opening hours this year, from 10am to 6pm".

With regard to the distribution of vessel, Pérez Atencia said that "Vélez-Málaga will have five boats during July and August, and three during the second half of June and the first half of September; Algarrobo will have one; Nerja and Torrox will have two". "There will also be at least one support boat at the disposal of the supra-municipal institution, ready to provide service to any town hall that requires it," he added.

Pérez Atencia said that all boats "have the technical features necessary to collect floating waste, oils, hydrocarbons and foams". They have sufficient autonomy to work for a full day, including the trips to the home port.

"'Foreña' type vessels will be used, which are open bow vessels with a conveyor belt that can be adjusted in speed and height," he said. They are equipped with hydrocarbon separator equipment so that they can continuously carry out treatment in the event of a severe oil spill. They have a cleaning capacity of at least 5,500 cubic metres of liquid per hour and 15,000 cubic metres of solids per hour. They will also carry all rescue and safety equipment required by law, including life buoys, a mobile phone, a horn, a camera and GPS.

Pérez Atencia has provided the most relevant data on the cleaning carried out by the boats during the summer of 2024 highlighting "48,300 kilos of organic matter; 51,300 kilos of inorganic matter and 1,658 cubic metres of hydrocarbons from Vélez-Málaga to Nerja". The organic matter mainly refers to dead fish, jellyfish and algae, while the inorganic matter consists of plastics, branches and wood. They are also prepared to remove hydrocarbons.

"This data demonstrates the positive impact of this service on the preservation of our coastline and the environmental quality of our coasts, so much appreciated by residents and visitors," Pérez Atencia said. "From the Mancomunidad, we remain committed to sustainability and care for the environment. We are grateful for the efforts of all the people involved in this scheme and we encourage the public to collaborate in keeping our beaches clean," he added.

Torrox town hall has launched its special summer beach surveillance campaign "by land, sea and air" - a "pioneering" initiative in Spain, as highlighted during the presentation by mayor Óscar Medina. The coastline of Torrox will have more than 40 professionals supported by vehicles, boats and, as a novelty, drones and a team of dogs specialised in water rescue. The campaign will run from Saturday, 14 June, until 14 September, between 11.30am and 8.30pm.

Medina, accompanied by the councillor for the area, Vanessa López, said that the main objective of the surveillance service on the beaches of the municipality of Torrox is to "act against any risk, implementing appropriate preventive and executive measures to ensure an effective response to any eventuality or risk". The mayor said that he is "especially proud that Torrox has been the first municipality in Spain to tender for the service dogs specialised in aquatic rescue". The dogs are trained by Miguel Sánchez-Merenciano from Global K9 Instructor. "The municipality with the best climate in Europe has one of the best beach surveillance and rescue services in Europe," stated the mayor.

Rosario Vega, administrator of Provita Sociedad Cooperativa Madrileña - the company awarded the service for more than 502,000 euros - said that the service will be made up of a coordinator, 18 lifeguards with special qualifications that exceed those required for swimming pools, three more lifeguards with additional qualifications as emergency health technicians, two jet ski skippers also newly incorporated and five people with health qualifications - nurses or clinical assistants. In addition, there will be five beach informers in July and August.

In addition, on weekends, the service will have a rescue drone equipped with floats and a second additional one to carry out control rounds and warn via public address system.

In addition, assistance to people with disabilities has been extended and improved with an amphibious chair, two walking frames and two pairs of crutches with the additional support of Civil Protection volunteers. In terms of material resources, two pickup trucks, a van and two jet skis have been incorporated. Lifeguards on duty this summer also hold an additional certification in natural environments. The surveillance watch towers have been distributed across eight beaches within the coastal municipality of Torrox.

More than 300 people took part last weekend in the open selection process for all the staff of the beach surveillance operation carried out by Provita, in the presence of several councillors from the Torrox town hall and members of the Local Police and Civil Protection.

On the other hand, the Algarrobo town hall has already activated the special action for surveillance and cleaning of beaches, which will remain operational throughout the high season, until 15 September. In total, 29 professionals work daily to ensure the safety, maintenance and accessibility of the Algarrobo coastline, which is just 1.5 kilometres long.

The team consists of 20 lifeguards and two boat captains, as well as seven cleaning staff (two more than last year) responsible for keeping the beaches in optimal condition. New this summer, two additional shaded areas have been added, one on each beach (Mezquitilla and Algarrobo Costa), while two accessible zones for people with reduced mobility are maintained. Beach surveillance is provided during extended hours, from 12pm to 9pm, for the second consecutive year.

"Our priority is that both residents and visitors enjoy safe, clean beaches with quality services. That is why we have expanded resources and opening hours, and we continue to improve accessibility," said mayor Natacha Rivas. "This device proves our commitment to sustainable tourism and the welfare of those who choose Algarrobo as a destination," she added.

On the other hand, deputy mayor Francisco Marín said that another new development is the installation of a dry dock in the Mezquitilla area, worth 44,000 euros. "It was a demand from the residents of the municipality and has an electric winch to make it easier to get the boats out of the water," he said. Algarrobo Costa is once again flying the blue flag - an international recognition that certifies water quality, safety, environmental management and coastal services.

"We continue to work to make Algarrobo a coastal benchmark of quality and sustainability," said Marín. The town hall has thanked all the services involved for their "professionalism" and encourages residents and tourists to collaborate "to keep the coastline in the best conditions".