The annual report ‘Banderes negres’ (Black Flags) by Ecologistes en Acció has flagged a beach in L'Ametlla de Mar, in the province of Tarragona, for a chemical pollution incident that took place on August 8th last year. Although no direct harm to swimmers was recorded, the lack of information on analyses and the uncertainty about the origin of the viscous substance have caused concern and indicate insufficient management.
The environmental group highlights that this incident is not isolated and is part of a growing trend of polluting episodes along the Tarragona coastline. The Black Flag is awarded not only for the spill itself but also for insufficient institutional coordination, a lack of preventive measures, and poor transparency in managing incidents affecting public maritime-terrestrial domain.
As improvement proposals, Ecologistes en Acció calls on the Catalan Water Agency, the Waste Agency of Catalonia, and the L'Ametlla de Mar City Council to fully publish the analyses conducted, establish a transparent communication protocol, reinforce maritime surveillance, and implement prevention plans. They also propose an environmental coordination table between administrations and environmental groups.
Other highlighted locations on the Catalan coast include La Paella beach in Torredembarra for sand extraction and wastewater discharge, the coastline of Sant Adrià de Besòs and the expansion of El Prat airport, El Golfet in Palafrugell for marine degradation, and the Begur Mountains for urban pressure. In contrast, the restoration of the Pletera wetlands in L'Estartit has been recognized.
