Clean Catalan beaches awarded 85 blue flags

Barcelona (CNA). - The Foundation for Environmental Education has given the blue flag to 85 Catalan beaches, two less than in 2009. Catalan ports have received 19 blue flags, also two less than last year. The fall in the number of flags seems to have been caused by bad weather in the spring. The blue flag is an ecological label for those beaches and ports which comply with 32 criteria based on water quality, safety and environmental management and education.

This season, 19 ports and 85 beaches from around Catalonia have received this distinction, one of them being the emblematic Barceloneta beach in the Catalan capital. However, poor spring weather has led to the loss of 2 blue flags for local beaches and 2 more for harbours, compared to 2009. The President of the Environmental Education Association for the Consumer (ADEAC), José Sánchez Moro, stated that some towns did not present their candidature because of the bad Spring weather. Percentage wise, 23% of the 356 Catalan beaches are blue flagged. 

Spanish beaches have obtained 605 blue flags, the greatest number of the entire Northern Hemisphere. This figure puts Spain as the state with the largest number of high-quality spots for swimming in the sea. Galicia, which has 25% of Spanish beaches, has received 122 blue flags. Valencia is the second community with 96 awards and Catalonia is in third place with 85. In total, Spain has received 34 more blue flag awards (28 beaches and 6 ports) than in 2009.