Alex Trelinski
NETS to keep jellyfish away from beaches on the Mar Menor lagoon are being installed for the first time since 2021
Barriers have been put up in the San Pedro del Pinatar area to protect bathers at three beaches- Villananitos, La Mota, and La Punica.
La Manga’s Veneziola beach and part of the Santiago de la Ribera coast will also get nets.
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Experts from Murcia University say that the presence of jellyfish has been focused on the lagoon’s northern area, like last year.
Nets have not been used for three years due to fears of reducing water quality on the beaches.
That has been due to the build up and decomposition of biomass growing due to pollution caused by an excess of nutrients being pumped into the Mar Menor.
Local municipalities opted two years ago not to use netting, but too many jellyfish in 2023 made life difficult for swimmers at beaches and caused anger in the tourism sector.
The regional environment ministry and councils have gone for a ‘surgical strike’ in placing nets where the greatest number of jellyfish have been reported.
