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The Mar Menor has been at the centre of environmental concern for years. The saltwater lagoon on Murcia's coast has suffered serious ecological damage, and the debate about what is causing it and how to fix it has never been far from the headlines.

 

The latest flashpoint is a campaign to ban jet skis from the lagoon entirely, and it has now attracted more than 26,000 signatures on Change.org.

 

The petition, launched by campaign group Abracemos al Mar Menor, claims jet skis are disturbing the seabed, causing noise and chemical pollution and posing safety risks to swimmers and divers. It calls for a permanent ban across the whole lagoon, pointing to restrictions already in place at Cabo de Gata as a precedent.

 

The nautical sector is not staying quiet. José Miguel Martínez Castejón, president of the Nautical Association of the Region of Murcia, has spent 13 years leading the regional body, 18 years at the helm of the Spanish Motorboating Federation and 33 years as a businessman in the sector. He knows this industry inside out, and he has a lot to say.

 

"The accusations are neither technically nor scientifically sound," he states flatly. "Dozens of studies have been conducted on the Mar Menor, and none of them blame recreational boating, much less jet skis specifically, for the lagoon's problems."

 

He points to the body of research by Professor Ángel Pérez-Ruzafa of the University of Murcia, one of the most respected authorities on the lagoon's ecology, as evidence. "When a severe weather event occurs and the consequences are analyzed, the focus is on nutrient runoff, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, and sewage spills. No one mentions recreational boating because it's not considered a problem."

 

On the seabed disturbance claim, he is equally direct. "The jet ski skims across the water. When it's moving slowly, the hull might create some turbulence, but it doesn't reach the seabed." He argues that larger vessels with external propellers are far more capable of causing damage in shallow areas. On pollution, his response is similarly blunt: "If there were a leak, the oil would stay inside the hull. If water could flow in and out freely, the jet ski would sink."

 

Far from dismissing environmental concerns, Martínez Castejón says the sector actively contributes to protecting the lagoon. He describes clean-up operations his members have carried out around Perdiguera Island, going out in inflatable boats and jet skis to remove waste washed into the Mar Menor after heavy rain. "Among the things we find most are pipes and hoses from irrigation. We are very concerned about our natural environment and we work together to take care of it," he explains. "If the Mar Menor disappears or becomes polluted, it ceases to be of interest to us as well."

 

On safety, he acknowledges that irresponsible users exist but refuses to let their behaviour define the whole sector. This is not a new tension. Last September, an unauthorised gathering of jet ski riders at a Mar Menor beach had to be broken up by police, underlining the enforcement challenges that remain.

 

"Those who break the rules must be punished severely," he says, "but an entire activity cannot be banned because of the behavior of a few." He claims to have no record of a single accident in Spain in 35 years involving a jet ski and a swimmer or kayaker.

 

His alternative to a ban is a concrete one. The sector has been pushing for Policía Local to take responsibility for surveillance within 200 metres of the shore, with the Guardia Civil and Maritime Authority covering the water beyond that point. The Orihuela Policía Local's use of jet skis for coastal patrols is held up as a model, and Martínez Castejón says the sector's lobbying has already helped municipalities including Cartagena acquire jet skis for surveillance and rescue work.

 

He also questions the petition's numbers, noting the campaign sat at around 5,000 signatures for nearly two months before approximately 17,000 appeared in a single day. "They cannot be used as a substitute for technical reports," he argues.

 

His position, stripped back, is simple: "What we won't accept is that all jet ski users be blamed for harm that no one has scientifically proven."

 

 

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