The summer boating season in the Mar Menor has ignited renewed frustration among residents, with an increase in complaints regarding overcrowded boats, jet skis racing in shallow waters, and unauthorised anchoring in wildlife protection zones. The Cartagena Maritime Authority has confirmed that it has issued forty-two fines for illegal anchoring so far this year, which is more than double the number recorded in previous summers.

Captain Óscar Villar reports that nearly forty fines are being issued each weekend for various offences, including encroaching on bathing areas and excessive speeds. Fourteen of these fines have been related to speeding, a figure many locals believe to be insufficient. One concerned resident stated, “It happens every day. I’ve been coming to La Manga since nineteen ninety-seven, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Alongside concerns from residents, environmental group SOS Mar Menor highlights illegal anchoring near Ciervo Island, a designated Special Conservation Area. They note that breaches continue despite a three hundred metre no-anchor zone, resulting in litter-strewn shores and ongoing issues following a notorious boat gathering last December. Restrictions have been in place since September twenty twenty-three, when anchoring was banned in four critical areas of the lagoon to protect endangered seaweed.

The Regional Ministry of the Environment has reiterated that surveillance and enforcement responsibilities lie with the Maritime Authority. Although a Royal Decree already prohibits anchoring in Special Protection Areas for Birds, which encompass the entire Mar Menor, no progress has been reported on updating the decree to better tackle current challenges. As residents endure the daily reality of boat parties and rule-breaking, they continue to call for stronger enforcement to preserve the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem.