Ecologists in Action has presented its Black Flags 2025 report, which, as every year, collects the "most serious environmental impacts on the Spanish coast", although "not all of them."
In total, it has awarded 48 flags throughout the country, two of which have been awarded to the island of La Graciosa, the smallest of the Canary Islands. In contrast, this year no flag has been awarded to the island of Lanzarote.
Specifically, the environmental defense group has given this distinction to the beaches of Caleta de Sebo and La Francesa beach, due to tourist pressure, with more than 300,000 visitors, compared to the 720 residents on the island.
Firstly, it has awarded this flag to the beach of the capital of La Graciosa, located next to the port where passenger ships, private companies, and individuals dock and transit. "The influx of boats, spills, and activities pollute the beach," the group has pointed out.
Thus, it has indicated that this beach is in "very poor condition", due to "the poor management of its uses, the activities that take place, and the lack of surveillance." In this sense, it states that in the 130 meters of beach, daily "restaurant furniture is installed where people drink and smoke, bicycles and kayaks are rented and transit, people sunbathe, and traditional carts are used for transport." To which it adds large sporting events and local festivals.
Secondly, it has pointed out that boats with tourists come to La Francesa beach, 2.7 kilometers from the first, "generating noise, feeding the seagulls and fish, and leaving excrement and toilet paper." This beach has been penalized for the second time in this report, as it already received the black flag in 2023 for the same reason.
Ecologists in Action states that the boats that arrive at the site "hold parties, meals, baths, games, and contests with music at high decibels, activities that generate noise, influx of people, waste that is forgotten in the sand, in the vegetation, and in the water."
In addition, it ensures that chicken remains are thrown from the catamarans to the birds, mainly seagulls, which collide with the hull of the boats while trying to catch them. To which must be added, that it accuses them of throwing the leftover rice into the sea to feed the fish.
In the beach of Caleta de Sebo, the environmental group proposes greater control and inspection of discharges from boats, regular analysis of the state of the water and sand, cleaning in the deposits, greater monitoring of activities, limits to large events and patron saint festivities, and the correct management of waste.
Finally, for La Francesa beach, it asks that the uses and activities on the beach be regulated, that interacting with marine fauna be prohibited, that cleaning services be provided more frequently, and that it be controlled to guarantee compliance with the regulations.