Agenda21: On: after the storm, crime, drones, olive trees and marshes
Chris Jones
http://www.thelocal.es/20170214/brexit-choose-freedom-eu-passport-campaign-launched-across-europe If there are enough signatures it goes to the EU Parliament.
University of Valencia to study Moraira marsh
Feb 15th
The Senillar, a small marsh of 0.76 hectares next to the tourist beach of l'Ampolla de Moraira, is one of the most valuable coastal ecosystems of the Marina Alta. Researchers from the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia will analyze the lake-like characteristics of the marsh. They will focus on water quality and its evolution throughout a hydrological cycle (from autumn 2016 to next summer) and the communities of flora and fauna, among which is the "fartet", a small endemic endangered fish. The study will complement the one carried out 2005-2006. This wetland has been protected since 2004, when the
Environment Department declared it a Wildlife Reserve. From: Levante
Xabia crime rates below average
Feb 10
The crime rate in Xàbia remained below the national average in 2016. During the year, there were 1,490 reported crimes which produced a rate of 37.7 per thousand residents, well below the provincial rate of 50.0 per thousand, the autonomous rate of 47 per thousand and the national average of 43 per thousand residents. The statistics were revealed during a meeting between the different security forces in the municipality and the governing board at the Town Hall. Other issues discussed by the board was the effectiveness of the recently-launched 'Centro de Coordinación Operativo de Emergencias Municipales (CECOPAL)' - ['the Operational Coordination Centre for Municipal Emergencies'] - and the specific programmes implemented across the municipality to address and prevent gender violence, bullying at school and illegal fishing in the sea. It was agreed to meet again in ten days to address another major security challenge: fire response . For full story see: Javeamigos
Bacteria which caused destruction of Olive trees in Italy, now in the Balerics
Feb 10
The Balearic agricultural sector is in a state of alert. The regional government has declared the entire territory of the islands to be affected by Xylella fastidiosa, a dangerous bacterium that kills all kinds of fruit trees such as olive, cherry, almond, oleanders and ornamental plants. For the moment, the authorities have only detected the disease in some trees, but to the precaution of removing trees around them. In total, about 2,000 fruit trees have been destroyed. The export of plant material from species susceptible to carrying this bacterium has been banned, which first weakens and dries the leaves, then attacks the branches and ends with the death of the tree. The activation of the protocol of eradication of the European Union in all the islands "would almost provoke the destruction of the primary sector", because it calls for the removal of healthy trees around the diseased ones. Last year in Italy this measures caused the destruction of more than one million olive trees. The Balearic regional government is waiting for Europe to authorize the removal of only the affected trees. from: El Pais
Carrefour Ondara to hire 47 new employees
French company collaborates with local enterprises
Feb 10
Carrefour will open its second new shop in the Marina Alta on February 23rd, adding an additional 47 new employees to the 57 workers (from the previous Eroski Supermarket) who will be retained. The French company works and collaborates with a total of 960 companies in the Comunidad Valenciana, some from the Marina Alta, such as Cidoncha, a producer of artisan bakery and cakes. In addition, it has signed agreements with fishermen's guilds, most notably the one in Dénia, which will supply fish to various Carrefour establishments. From: La Marina Plaza
A drone to combat illegal fishing in Xàbia
Feb 10th
Xàbia has contracted the services of an unmanned aerial vehicle to carry out surveillance flights along the 25 kilometres of coastline, allowing close observation in real-time of the most inaccessible corners of the coast. Scheduled flights will be augmented by random ones to ensure the surprise effect with the images broadcast in real-time via tablet to agents working in the 'Unidad de Cometidos Especiales (UCE)' - ['the Special Commitments Unit'] - so that their response to signs of illegal fishing will be much faster. These images can also be used as evidence in prosecution cases. For full story see: Javeamigos
Javea recycled over 100tons of clothing in 2016
Feb 9th
The residents of Xàbia recycled some 112 metric tones of used clothing during 2016. According to data supplied by the NGO 'Humana Fundación Pueblo para Pueblo', the organisation that manages the 34 containers distributed across the municipality, a total of 112,612 kilos of clothing, footwear and home textiles during 2016, a slight decrease compared to 2015 (113,570 kilos). for ful story see: Javeamigos
Forum to support young people entering the job market
Feb 9th
The Department of Youth of the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia has organised another 'Mercat de l'Estudiant', a special forum to support the young people of the municipality in drawing their plans for further education or prepare them for entry into the job market. Under the slogan 'Y tú … ¿qué quieres ser?' - ['And you? What do you want to be?'] - the forum will take place from Monday 13th to Friday 17th February in the multipurpose room at Portal del Clot and open to anyone interested. The programme arranges for organised groups from third-year ESO to second-year high school students from IES No1 and Antonio Llidó as well as the Colegio María Inmaculada to take advantage of the forum during the morning sessions whilst those who wish to visit individually will be welcome between 4.00pm to 6.00pm. for full story see: Javeamigos
Repairs to Port breakwater and Tango beach to be paid for by regional Government
Feb 5th
Valencia's Department of Infrastructure will pay for repairs to the outer wall of Xàbia Port breakwater and the concrete platform next to the Tango restaurant's frontage. This is classified as emergency works to protect the safety of people and property. From :La Marina Plaza
Rental of tourist apartments up by 14%
Feb 1st
In 2016, the Comunidad Valenciana was second only to the Canary Islands in overnight stays in tourist apartments. More than 10.4 million such rentals were officially recorded, an increase of 14.6%. However, according to the tourist industry a lot of the growth is outside the law. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) records 20,599 dwellings, half of them in Alicante. However, digital rental operators such as Airbnb, offer hundreds of thousands. The Tax Agency has launched an initiative to detect tax fraud in this business, while the Generalitat is conducting on-site inspections and following up of Internet ads. Spain had a record of 75.6 million visitors in 2016 - 7.5 million more tourists than in 2015 -, a growth of 10, 3% compared to the previous year. from Las Provincias.
Stolen oranges and poached sea urchins
Jan 31st
Members of the Roca team of the Civil Guard reported that about 42,600 kilograms of stolen citrus were recorded in the Marina Alta region last year. A notable increase since in the previous campaign (12,100 kilos) However 28 complaints were received last year compared to 12 in the previous year, so the rise in quantity of stolen oranges is probably due to increased reporting of thefts. (From: Las Provincias. Meanwhile in Xàbia the police detained two people for furtively fishing "low calibre" (..undersized?) sea urchins which are a protected species. From: La Marina Plaza
Xàbia Town Hall reports saving of €300,000 on electricity bills
Jan 31st
Xàbia Town Hall has reported that more than 300,000 euros has been saved in electricity bills since 2011. Six years ago, the bill for public lighting reached its highest level at some 550,000 euros. However significant savings have been made ever since, thanks mainly to the renegotiation of contracts with electricity supplier Iberdrola and updates in lighting technology, and bills have been reduced by just over 57% which amounts to some 314,728 euros. for full story see: Javeamigos
Spain's disappearing villages
Jan 31st
According to the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) in its paper Population and depopulation in Spain 2016, at least 4,000 villages are in imminent danger of disappearing altogether due to the ongoing 'demographic haemorrhage'. The worst-affected provinces are those of Teruel (Aragón), Cuenca (Castilla-La Mancha) and Soria (Castilla y León) – in fact, throughout the region of Aragón itself, some 80% of inhabitants live in villages with fewer than 300 residents, the majority of which have as few as 30 on their census…The FEMP says the depopulation risk is driven by two factors: low birth rates, which have been in continual decline since even before the financial crisis and fell more sharply still with the recession – leading to an ageing population which is not regenerating itself – plus lack of job opportunities in isolated rural areas, meaning those of working age migrate to larger towns and cities. For full story see: ThinkSpain
Aquifers topped up by winter rains
Jan 27th
Last summer the water level in the wells at Pedreguer stood at a depth of 211 metres, just a little above its maximum 232m. As a result of the two lots of rainstorms the Ocaive well now stands at a depth of 85.5m. Not only does this mean that supplies are healthy, but also that costs are reduced since less power is needed for water abstraction. Despite the good news, Pedreguer Mayor Sergi Ferrús stressed that there should be no relaxation and responsible consumption should be maintained. He also said that it is necessary to continue searching for "global solutions to the problem of water in the region" along with other municipalities, not forgetting the work to reduce leaks in the pipelines. In Xaló the losses due to leaks in old pipework were 75% in 2015, which they hope soon to reduce to 45%. From: Las Provincias
Storm caused significant damage in 80 Valencian Municipalities
50 of them on the coast
Jan 24th
The coast of Castelló and las Marinas suffered the worst effects of the storm along the coast. All the damages will be analaysed this week at a meeting called by the regional secretary of tourism, who cited 52 coastal municipalities suffering damage. In one case 23,000 chickens died when there was a power cut and the system to automatically start backup generators did not work. (Levante print edition). In another story, Denia has calculated that the damage it suffered will cost more than 2 million Euros to put right. This includes reinstating sand and profiling some beaches. From Las Provincias
Met office confirms that a storm like this one has never been recorded
Jan 20th
The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has confirmed that "there is no record of such a storm since records began". Speaking to Europa Press, AEMET spokeswoman Ana Casals said that the situation this week is "absolutely historical" Other "partial storms that have left similar thicknesses of snow, but in smaller areas, not like this one , which has affected more territory. The situation is "historic because of the temperatures, affected areas and by the continuity of snow," and warned about what could happen over the next few hours in the face of the storm of wind, sea and rainfall in the Mediterranean area. from: El Dia
2017 draft municipal budget published
Jan 21st
The proposed budget for 2017 is 35,754,280 euros, which is some 2.59% lower than 2016 due to the reduction in the annual state investment by Madrid which is based on such parameters as the municipal registry and collection of municipal taxes. In addition, the Ayuntamiento has been obliged to return around 640,000 euros to the Ministry of Finance relating to state investments made in 2014. This has forced the local executive to work for several months to create a suitable budget without having to raise municipal taxes. The basic points of the draft budget which will be presented in an open meeting to residents on the afternoon of Monday 23rd January. For full story see: Javeamigos
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Cullen Hightower