“Posidonia Oceanica: destruction for anchoring and its conception as a green crime in the balearic islands”
Posidonia Oceanica is one of the most important species of our marine ecosystem, due to both the way it spreads and the protection it provides against climate change and other dangers.
Within our legislation protection measures range from the administrative to the criminal, where we also find certain protection for endangered species.
The damage made to Posidonia meadows is under examination, specially any damage caused by the anchors of vessels with hulls of over 80 meters, as these are the ones that cause the biggest impact on our marine meadows.
“Megayacht SASP in Portocolom destroying dozens of meters of Posidonia Oceanica, provoking a race of destruction that will take tens of years to repair itself (in ideal conditions)”
The different possibilities that our regulations establish against these aggressions are under examination, until reaching an outcome of environmental crime.
A study of the existing conceptions compared with environmental crimes, taking into account what is established by the so called Green Criminology, views activities authorized by the administration but that cause an impact on the marine environment as a crime, fracking is an example of this (Goyes, 2015).
Esteban Morelle i Hungría. Doctorate in Environmental right and sustainability
Photos: Maria Arcos, Mallorca Blue.
Posidonia oceanica: destruction for anchoring and its conception as a green crime in the balearic
islands” / full paper
+Info Posidonia: The Posidonia Oceánica
