Port of Roses removes old anchor blocks from Almadrava and Canyelles and completes the implementation of ecological dead ends
The Port of Roses is carrying out the removal of a total of 35 anchor blocks from the beaches of Almadrava and Canyelles this October, once the installation of the new ecological anchors has been completed during the summer. The actions have been carried out based on an environmental diagnosis, which has determined which concrete blocks could be removed without harming marine habitats.
This extraction completes the process of renovation of the anchoring systems on the Rosinc coast which, in addition to installing the new ecological anchorage models, has incorporated an environmentally relevant intervention: the elimination of old elements that can be extracted without compromising the conservation of the seabed.
Previously, Port de Roses has commissioned the Marine Conservation Consortium to conduct a technical and environmental diagnosis of the old anchorage blocks of Almadrava, Bonifaci and Canyelles Petites. The study, carried out during the month of September, has allowed the location and evaluation of 83 blocks or groups of concrete blocks and to determine the most appropriate action in each case.
The conclusions of the diagnosis established that 35 blocks were susceptible to removal , while it recommended the conservation of 46, since they are integrated into posidonia meadows or have an ecological value that discourages their extraction. For the remaining seven blocks, the study prioritizes the application of mitigation measures on the same site before assessing a possible subsequent removal. This criterion allows for selective action and prevents the extraction of old structures from generating a more harmful environmental impact than maintaining them.
The diagnosis has also established the indications for the removal of the concrete pieces , which is done in a controlled and vertical manner, without dragging the blocks along the seabed, and also foresees subsequent environmental monitoring to evaluate the evolution of the affected habitats.
The implementation of ecological dead ends in buoy fields ends
The final removal of concrete 'dead' buoys comes after the installation of the ecological anchoring system on the beaches of Almadrava, Canyelles and Montjoi carried out this summer. With these actions, the implementation of ecological dead buoys in the boat anchoring buoy fields of Roses is completed.
In total, 56 ecological buoys have been installed in Canyelles, 38 in Almadrava and 43 in Montjoi. The new system uses spiral-shaped anchors that are inserted into the seabed and allow the buoys to be held in place without the need to place traditional concrete blocks, which can damage marine habitats and posidonia meadows when they move due to sea currents.
