Villajoyosa urges u-turn in oil exploration

VILLAJOYOSA Council has voted to oppose the proposed oil exploration project in the Gulf of Valencia at a regular session of the council. The motion as carried reiterated the council’s opposition to the government’s decision to allow the company Cairn Energy to conduct oil exploration in the central Gulf of Valencia, and urged Madrid to revoke the authorisation.

It was stated at the meeting that oil exploration work would not only affect the environment but also impact on the fishing industry, given the movement of fishing vessels and the proximity of the oil company’s activity in the area.

Concern was also expressed during the meeting that in other similar situations where exploration work had overlapped into fishing areas, that a reduction in catches had been recorded of between 30 per cent and 70 per cent, depending on the species of fish.

“Although we will not see oil rigs off our coast, this does not mean that it does not affect us on many levels, mainly in the fishing industry, but not forgetting the terrible potential consequences for our tourism industry, with the damage that could be done to our hotel industry with the high risk of oil pollution,” said Jose Maria Bejar, Villajoyosa’s Councillor for the Environment.