Last week, the Basque Government’s Department for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment began work on extending the 88-metre Mutriku port dam. The works have been awarded to the company FCC, with a budget of 15,623,787 euros and would end in 17 months, according to the journalist Jabi León in the newspaper Noticias de Gipuzkoa. The Government has pointed out that the work in progress will be limited to extending the protection dam in order to improve access to the port and to ensure the security of the dock. In other words, it does not mean that they are going to carry out other actions under the 2002 Port Special Plan, as the journalist says.

On the occasion of the works, the Danborzaleak platform has submitted 1,185 signatures to the City Hall, including 719 of mutriku. The Mayor has been asked to urge the Basque Government to give a transparent, public and honest explanation of the port project before the start of the works; to use the resources available for the cessation of the works during the public consultation; and to respect the result of the consultation.

According to News from Gipuzkoa, the Basque Government intends to review the Special Plan at the end of the works of the dam and decide which actions should be carried out after a participatory process and which should not. However, the Danborzaleak platform calls for this to be done before the consultation. The members of the association express their concern that in the lengthening of the dam the waters between him and the drum are covered by a marina. “Taking into account the policy of management and exploitation of the Government’s coastline for a long time, this occupation will be carried out through a marina,” they point out. “Before or after, we will be restricted or banned from using the drum, the pool and the beach environment.”