« Who is responsible for the property bubble? | Home | Santa Pola Club de Futbol seeking junior footballers »
Jelly Fish Alert
By Hans Hamers | June 21, 2009
Spanish authorities are already preparing defences to tackle the swarms of Mauve Stinger jellyfish; bright purple invertebrates which emit a yellow glow at night, that annually plague the eastern beaches of the country.
Each summer tens of thousands of holidaymakers are forced to seek treatment for minor stings. Scientists predict that the numbers of jellyfish swarming off the coast this summer will be higher than ever and new measures have been introduced to protect unsuspecting bathers.
In the Catalonian region, where some 20,000 people received treatment after being stung last summer, authorities are using satellite images to track dangerous hoards of the slimy creatures. When they seem dangerously close to shore, fishing boats will be sent to scoop up the masses of jellyfish and divert them away from popular beaches.
The Ministry for the Environment has launched a campaign that will provide pamphlets to be distributed amongst bathers, alerting them to the dangers of jellyfish and what measures to take in case of a sting. Over the last several years, there has been a huge rise in numbers due to the effects of global warming and suspected over-fishing of their natural predators. Until we tackle the environmental issues that are causing the proliferation of jellyfish in Mediterranean waters, the problem will only get worse.
In the meantime –swim at your own risk!
Source: www.roundtownnews.co.uk
Topics: Gran Alacant, Gran Alacant News, News | No Comments »
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.