Roqueta Magazine | August 2019
A positive impact
Having been set up with the firm purpose of promoting and supporting a more sustainable Menorca, the Menorca Preservation Fund is dedicated to preserving the island’s exceptional natural beauty with the help of local environmental initiatives.
After a busy few months supporting beachcleans, composting workshops, and our continued work with local organisations, the MEPF is now focusing on a series of new projects that aim to protect both the land and marine Biosphere Reserve of Menorca.
With the fantastic recent news that Menorca’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve distinction has been extended to cover marine habitats around the island, it is as important as ever to actively work to preserve this unique natural landscape and all that it has to offer.
Among our recent projects proposals, two particular topics have repeatedly come up: reducing and removing plastic waste and better monitoring of the island’s precious Posidonia Oceanica meadows and marine life.
With plastic pollution having steadily become an environmental crisis in terms of its adverse effects on wildlife, ecosystems and food supplies, the MEPF felt it essential to continue its support of LEADER’s ‘More fish, less plastic’ campaign.
Aiming to reduce and remove plastics from the sea and within the whole supply chain of Menorca’s fisheries, the campaign works closely with local fishermen to come up with more sustainable fishing strategies and solutions. One of these strategies includes providing local fishmongers with biodegradable bags and wraps for the fish, in order to cut out the use of single-use plastic bags and wrappers.
Another great organisation that MEPF has been continuously supporting is PER LA MAR VIVA. In a bid to clean up Menorca’s coastlines and improve the inefficiency of the current system, Carlos Salordof PER LA MAR VIVA and a group of volunteers removed a ton of marine waste in just 5 days last year and have transformed this waste into a fantastic exhibition showing across the island.
With the imminent 2021 Europe-wide ban on single-use plastics, the MEPF is also continuing to support GOB with phase 2 of its MAR NOSTRA project. The initiative aims to help local businesses reduce their use of single-use plastics, which is important preparation for the strict law to come.
Equally, Menorca boasts an important amount of Posidonia Oceanica meadows, an underwater coastal ecosystem full of extraordinary value and which is mostly responsible for our amazing clear waters. but that has also come under threat over the years due to the increased amount of anchorages and contamination in our waters. Due to this, the MEPF considered it essential to fund OBSAM and GOB projects to help monitor, protect and stabilise the Posidonia meadows around the island.
Having recently launched the second stage of their studies, OBSAM’s reports have so far shown promising results as well as highlighting areas that require additional support and continued monitoring and conservation.
By funding local initiatives, we believe that we can have a significant positive impact and help bring the long-lasting change that Menorca needs for a more sustainable future.
For more information about the Menorca Preservation Fund please email info@menorcapreservationfund.org
