Costa Blanca
Marine Surveillance increases coastline patrols to protect posidonia seaweed

In order to safeguard posidonia seaweed, the Marine Surveillance Service examines 50,000 hectares of shoreline.
The Marine Surveillance Service of the Valencia region is currently surveying 50,000 hectares of coastline in an effort to preserve the posidonia meadows of the Valencian Community by creating a network to monitor marine species, ecosystems, and protected areas.
With the expansion of the surveillance network in 2024, this service—which is subordinate to the General Directorate of Natural and Animal Environment—has been present at sea for 810 days and has sailed more than 37,000 kilometres of the Valencian coastline, setting new records.
The largest deployment since the program’s inception in 2022, comprising a team of 19 marine professionals and eight vessels managed by the Ministry, is the surveillance device, as pointed out by Luis Gomis, Director General of Natural and Animal Environment.
Therefore, El Perelló, Dénia, Alcossebre, Oropesa del Mar, Xà bia, Calp, El Campello, and Torrevieja are the eight base ports from which the vessels embark for the work.
Two additional vessels will join the existing network of watchdogs in 2024 to do control and surveillance duties off the coasts of L’Albufera and Dénia. “This network for monitoring marine species, habitats and protected areas allows us to collect all the information of interest on nautical activity and to report on the ecological and regulatory importance associated with posidonia oceanica,” Luis Gomis stated.
In its three years of operation, the Marine Surveillance Service has successfully decreased the amount of anchors found in posidonia meadows. Environmental officials have also started boarding the service’s boats in September 2024 to report these breaches.
Five nautical clubs have begun a new initiative this year to disseminate regulations related to seagrass meadows: Club Náutico Oropesa del Mar, Marina El Portet in Dénia, Club Náutico in Moraira and El Campello, and the Real Club Náutico in Torrevieja.
Schedule for tracking
As part of the Posidonia monitoring plan’s presentation day in Alicante, the Spanish Department of Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory convened a group of specialists from throughout the country to assess the species’ situation in the Valencian Community.
The decline of our beaches, loss of biodiversity, and worsening water quality are all things that posidonia works to combat, as the head of the natural and animal environment directed attention to. “This species acts as a barrier against erosion, provides oxygen, and provides shelter for species of interest,” he continued.
Contamination by wastewater, hydrocarbons, and coastal building is a major threat to posidonia. Also, because people tend to anchor without thinking, water activities might lead to more direct attacks.
Preserving areas
Seagrass meadows, including Cymodocea nodosa meadows, are regulated for conservation in the Valencian Community by decree 64/2022. The Generalitat is designated as the entity responsible for surveillance, inspection, and control, and the necessity of a monitoring plan is contemplated in this decree.
Specifically, the conference-analyzed monitoring plan from 2024 defines a protocol for sampling places by depth ranges, from the beach to depths surpassing 25 meters, and investigates the conservation status of the Valencian Community’s meadows.
The project has enabled the creation of a network for monitoring the marine coastline and studying the nautical uses of each space in the Natura 2000 marine network. Researchers, law enforcement agents, and Maritime Rescue have received logistical support and technical advice from this network, thanks to the efforts of coastguards and environmental agents.
Our seagrass meadows “are currently in a good state of conservation, however, there is a wide margin for improvement in their recovery in those areas where they have been reduced or disappeared,” Gomis noted during this session. “It is our duty and our responsibility to redouble our efforts and work side by side towards this common goal,” he added, hence the reason.
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Costa Blanca
Police arrested a man who sold a niche for 1,500€ that he didn’t own

An individual has been arrested by the National Police in the town of Elche, Alicante, on suspicion of engaging in fraudulent activities. An octogenarian woman had been sold a niche in the town’s historic cemetery in exchange for 1,500 euros. A niche is a small, above-ground space or recess, often within a cemetery wall or structure, where a coffin or urn is placed for burial or storage. As per the municipal registry, the victim was not the owner at the cemetery at the time she attempted to execute the change of ownership.
The investigation commenced following a complaint lodged by an 80-year-old woman from Elche. She met a man through her life insurance broker who offered to lease a niche in the old Elche cemetery for 1,500 euros.
Consequently, the victim met this individual at the same cemetery that housed the requested niche. There, the victim and the man concluded the transfer of the niche and executed a private contract that was signed by both parties, rendering the transfer effective.
The grantor of the niche transferred the deed and other ownership documents associated with it to the victim after the victim paid the agreed-upon amount.
The victim, shortly thereafter, visited the municipal registry of the city to change the ownership. She was told the change was impossible because the person who gave her the property wasn’t the owner.
The officer who assisted the victim, however, attempted to mediate through a phone contact, despite this. She reported the incident to the National Police after the transferor hung up and ceased answering calls from both the officer and the victim after she explained the case to him.
After conducting the necessary investigations, the officers responsible for the case located and apprehended the suspect for the alleged fraud.
The investigation has been assigned to the Road Safety Investigation Unit of the Benidorm Armed Forces. The driver was subjected to alcohol and substance tests by members of the group, and the area was inspected to collect evidence that would help to resolve the tragic accident that claimed the lives of a family. The driver was apprehended subsequent to preliminary investigations.
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Costa Blanca
Five injured in a two-car accident in Elche

According to the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium and the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU), an accident between two vehicles on Avenida Algoda in Elche resulted in the injuries of five individuals: a 30-year-old man, a 19-year-old man, and three minors aged 16 on Saturday, April 19th.

A SAMU unit, an SVB, a conventional ambulance or public transport unit, a command headquarters unit (UMJ), a heavy urban fire department (BUP), a rescue van (FSV), a sergeant, a corporal, and six firefighters from the Elche fire station were dispatched to the scene upon the receipt of the call at approximately 11:35 p.m.
The driver of one of the vehicles was successfully extricated by firefighters (see above.) All of the injured sustained injuries and were transported to the General Hospital in Elche and the Vinalopó Hospital in Elche.
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“Drug Supermarket” in Denia closed by Police

Four individuals have been apprehended by National Police officers in Dénia (Alicante) for the “indiscriminate” sale of drugs under the guise of a purportedly legitimate association. Over four kilogrammes of marijuana, cannabis, cocaine, and distribution materials were confiscated during the search.
The investigation began following the identification of a potential clandestine drug trafficking organisation. According to a statement from the police headquarters, the establishment was experiencing a consistent flow of individuals at various periods of the day, despite the absence of any sign or apparent commercial activity.
The officers initiated procedures to confirm the status of the establishment in conjunction with the Judicial Police and Citizen Security Units. They verified that the establishment did not have any activity records registered at the regional level during the inspections.
They also confirmed that the establishment’s basic supplies were registered to someone possibly linked to the criminal community. The association’s manager also had a criminal record.
The police conducted a “discreet” operation that verified the regular sale of narcotics at the establishment. Lines formed outside the establishment to purchase drugs on certain days, “as if it were a genuine drug supermarket.”
“Once we obtained the necessary judicial authorisations, we conducted a search. The search revealed numerous containers labelled with marijuana, zip-lock sacks containing the same substance, and pre-made homemade cigarettes. Cocaine was consumed in some areas, and some narcotics were hidden in appliances and furniture,” said the police.
The authorities confiscated over four kilogrammes of marijuana, a lesser quantity of hashish, and a small quantity of cocaine. The search resulted in the arrest of two males, aged 42 and 22, respectively.
Despite a court order sealing off the premises, the investigation continued in an effort to identify the remaining suspects. Shortly thereafter, Denia police apprehended two more males, ages 22 and 23.
An alleged offence against public health has resulted in the arrest of the four suspects. Two of the apprehended individuals had prior convictions for comparable offences.
The Denia Court of First Instance has been informed of all the proceedings.
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