Published on : Friday, July 4, 2014
The world’s biggest island playground may be threatened by the specter of oil drilling. That’s the word from the local inhabitants of Ibiza and the celebrity jet setters who flock to the island to enjoy its many clubs and pristine Mediterranean beaches.
Pushed into a corner because it imports more than 99 per cent of its oil from other oil-producing countries and still staring at a dismal economic outlook, the Spanish government is considering allowing oil exploration off the coasts of Ibiza and Formentera, two of the four main Balearic Islands. The government is scheduled to decide in September after weighing the results of an environmental impact report. If approved, companies could start drilling as soon as next year.
Celebrities including singer Diddy, supermodel Kate Moss, actress Sienna Miller and DJ Fatboy Slim are among those who oppose oil exploration on the grounds that it would threaten the Balearic ecosystem, which is home to dolphin pods, whales and Posidonia, an ocean seagrass only found in Europe.
Even local politicians are surprised at the degree of unanimity. ‘It is the first time people speak with one voice against a project like this. I cannot remember another time. This is the beginning of something,’ said Vicent Serra, president of the island’s local government, the Consell of Ibiza.
Serra is a member of the Popular Party, which is in power in Madrid and has argued in favour of exploring for oil, but he said he would put Ibiza first. ‘I am against oil prospecting here. I was voted to represent the people here.’
Jaume Ferrer, his counterpart in Formentara, an 82-square mile island off the coast, is equally unequivocal. ‘We feel threatened, attacked, because tourism is the main part of our economy.
The tourism is based on our conservation of the environment. We say no.’
Locals worry that drilling will hurt the primary driver of economic activity on the island — tourism. Each year, more than 2.5 million people flock to Ibiza on holiday, it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Scottish oil and gas company Cairn energy is pushing the Spanish government to allow drilling in area of about 1,500 square miles, 30 miles off the coast of Ibiza.
Tags: Ibiza tourism
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