The five beaches of Alicante this year they revalidate their blue flags. The vice mayor and mayor of Tourism has collected this Monday in Valencia these quality badges that confirm “the good condition of Alicante’s beaches”, Alicante said in Hoy por hoy Mari Carmen Sánchez, at the gates of a summer in which there are high hopes.
The beaches of L ‘Albufereta, Postiguet, Saladar-Urbanova, San Juan and Tabarca they will once again have a blue flag. “We are very happy to revalidate them,” says Sánchez, who insists on the importance of continuing to promote Alicante as a safe destination.
For this, in addition to this type of recognition that helps, it is essential “advance in sustainability and digitization”. The vice mayor recalls that Alicante has been a pioneer in implementing systems such as Ibeach; cameras that offer the occupation of the beaches at all times and that have been operating since last summer in El Postiguet, the result of an agreement with Aguas de Alicante.
Asked if they arise extend the hours and months of the Rescue and Lifeguard service once the summer lasts until well into the month of October, they do not rule it out, but they prefer to wait and see “how tourism responds so as not to make an expense that falls to nothing “.
Along with this sanitary device, that of safety. Sánchez highlights the collaboration with the Local Police, which is “fundamental” for the objective of having safe beaches and in which sanitary measures are complied with.
And it is precisely in this goal that the COVID information assistants that the Generalitat deployed last year on the beaches of the Valencian Community and that this year they will return to the sandy areas with a novelty: the city councils will have to assume part of the hiring of these people.
Sánchez has criticized the decision of the Consell. Assures not understanding “why can’t you follow last year’s method”, in which the Generalitat assumed all the cost of the hiring. The mayor regrets that the Valencian executive “passes the ball to the city councils as it does with the Edificant Plan “and warns that Alicante will have” a problem “when hiring these 42 people.
No smoking on the beaches … but without penalties
The novelty this year on the beaches of Alicante is the adherence to the smokeless network, which seeks not to smoke in the sand. A measure that, however, in practice will come to nothing because at the moment, confirms Mari Carmen Sánchez, it will not be sanctioned to the citizens.
“We will not sanction, but yes we strongly recommend that you do not smoke on the beaches of Alicante and that, if it is done, the cigarette butts are collected “, asks the mayor.
Five kilos of cigarette butts a day
On the beaches of Alicante they are collected every day 5 kilos of cigarette butts, according to a report by UTE Alicante, the company responsible for cleaning the sand.
Isabel Luján, responsible for communication and environmental education of the UTE, explains that this is one of the waste that costs more economically to Alicante, between 700,000 and 800,000 euros per year, in addition to being highly polluting.
“Smoking on the beaches is expensive to the population and the environment, “says Luján, who trusts that if the beaches end up being smoke-free spaces, the number of cigarette butts collected daily will be reduced and those resources can be used for other types of treatments.
Since May 15, the beaches of Alicante have a special cleaning service, which increases as of June 20, when the high season begins, and that includes a daily cleaning of the algae strand. Special teams are also mobilized for Tabarca in July and August.
At the top of the news you can hear the interviews in full to Mari Carmen Sánchez and Isabel Luján in Hoy por hoy Alicante.
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