The environmental group Friends of the Southern Alicante Wetlands (AHSA) has filed a complaint with the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard (SEPRONA) against the allegedly illegal camping of dozens of motorhomes on land in the classified wetland area of the Bitter Water Salt Flat.
In its complaint, AHSA states that "for years it has been common for motorhomes and camper vehicles to camp on land that is part of the cataloged humid area of the Saladar de Agua Amarga." But, as stated by the environmental organization and corroborated by the residents of the nearby residential area known as Urbanova, during the last year there has been a notable increase in the number of vehicles and people camping illegally in this protected natural space, "arriving to register up to nearly a hundred of this type of vehicles spending the night continuously next to Saladar beach without any type of control.
This, according to the complainants, causes "a significant impact on the environmental values of this wetland due to the formation of a true permanent human nucleus in it."
Environmentalists warn that there is a worrying impact derived from illegal motorhome camping: the sources of pollution of coastal waters that can be produced by the discharge of gray water from these vehicles, "just as happened last summer in the Carabassí beach", in the municipality of Elx.
Friends of the Wetlands remember that "the Saladar de Agua Amarga has been included since its approval in the Catalog of Wetlands of the Valencian Community and that the law of protected natural spaces of the Valencian Community establishes the prohibition of unauthorized camping in the spaces protected natural areas", including it in the sanctionable activities contemplated in this legislation.
In addition, the environmental group has submitted a letter to the Department of the Environment requesting that environmental agents sanction illegal camping and recriminating this administration "for having allowed for years, in a clear dereliction of its functions, illegal camping in the salt marsh. of Agua Amarga, which with the continued proliferation of motorhome tourism together with the lack of enforcement of legislation, is causing a negative impact on this mistreated wetland.
Finally, the environmental group regrets "the absolute inaction of the Alicante City Council with respect to this problem" and describes as "pathetic" the image (which heads this information) of the municipal signage prohibiting camping surrounded by dozens of motorhomes.
This complaint arises after the city council abandoned the project proposed in the previous mandate that reserved land for a parking lot capable of accommodating between 40 and 50 motorhomes next to Urbanova. Finally, it was decided to dedicate that space to a market.
After the abandonment of the existing infrastructure in Playa de San Juan, which was inaugurated in 2017 and, after its limited success, was temporarily handed over to the Circo del Sol and today stores containers, the municipality of Alicante lacks a specific space for a type of vehicle increasingly used by European tourists.
Last week, the Tourism Councilor stated that this type of traveler is not a preference for the city, despite the fact that the mayor himself, Luis Barcala, later clarified that a suitable space is being sought. Meanwhile, if the competent authorities act, it is likely that in the coming days motorhome tourists arriving in Alicante will be forced to pass by in search of a more accommodating destination.
In fact, a short distance away, on the esplanades near the beaches of the Elche coast, such as La Marina, the phenomenon is reproduced, which is why the creation of car parks equipped for this purpose in nearby areas is already being studied.
