The Minister of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, visited the Port of Garrucha this Monday, together with the Mayoress of Garrucha, María López, where they checked the progress of the refurbishment works of the commercial dock and visited the new shipowners’ quarters in the fishing port, actions with an investment of more than 2.5 million euros.
Fernández-Pacheco highlighted «the importance of the port of Garrucha due to two factors: the export of gypsum and its long fishing tradition». Likewise, he has assured that «from the Junta de Andalucía we are aware of the enormous economic potential of our ports and for this reason, this government of Juanma Moreno is making an unprecedented investment to modernise them, to make them more attractive and competitive and, above all, to facilitate the daily performance of the workers of the sea».
The Minister has detailed the actions that the Junta de Andalucía, through the Public Ports Agency (APPA), is carrying out in the Port of Garrucha, on the one hand in the commercial dock, with the improvement of the paving to achieve greater resistance and maintenance and the rehabilitation of dock two; and on the other, the action already completed in the construction of 20 new shipowners’ rooms and a shaded area for the nets, thus responding «to the needs of the workers in this area, improving their health and safety conditions».
New shipowners’ quarters
In the fishing area of the Port of Garrucha, 20 new shipowners’ quarters have been built for the fishermen and a new shaded area for the laying of the nets with an investment of 637,117 euros with the aim of improving the conditions in which the fishermen carry out their daily work with accessible quarters, in their own enclosure, gaining in safety.
The extension of the counter dock created an esplanade located behind the fish market and the existing ice factory, which made it possible to organise the work activity after fishing in this area. This area of 4,750 square metres in surface area had sufficient capacity to house both the shipowners’ quarters and a sheet of shade in which to carry out the work of laying and repairing nets.
The action has also allowed the reorganisation of the access road that borders the area, providing parking strips to serve the fish market and the ice factory. Previously, the space for the fishermen’s work was completely exposed to the passage of passers-by, which prevented the protection of the nets and fishing equipment and, therefore, they lacked a defined space in which to carry out their net-working activities in a space protected from the sun and not exposed to the constant passage of the public.
The ceremony was attended, in addition to the councillor and the mayoress, by the general secretary, María del Mar Plaza; the government delegate in Almería, Aránzazu Martín; the territorial delegates, Manuel de la Torre and Antonio Mena; and the director of the Public Ports Agency of Andalusia, Rafael Merino, among others.
Commercial Wharf
Once the visit to the new shipowners’ quarters was over, the Minister went to the commercial quay to check the progress of the paving and refurbishment work.
The first of the actions, with an investment of 1.6 million euros, which is being carried out on the commercial quay is paving. The objective is to renew the section of the road surface to increase its resistance and facilitate its maintenance, since during peak periods it can exceed the traffic of a thousand vehicles a day. During the works, the rainwater collection system has also been improved, new defences have been installed for the berthing of vessels and the conditions for sheltering the material being stockpiled from the weather have been increased, increasing the height of the breakwater with the installation of a rigid barrier, thus reducing the emissions of suspended dust that could be caused by the wind and waves. The works are scheduled to be completed in April of this year.
On this same quay, a 233,198 euro refurbishment is being carried out, which will address a problem of misalignment in the bottom blocks detected in an underwater inspection. This action aims to repair the affected section of the quay, protect its base from undermining by propellers, reconstruct the deteriorated port pavement, as well as improve the filling of the back of the quay, and renew the defences located on the quay. The works will be completed in mid-June.
Port of Garrucha
The commercial activity within the Andalusian autonomous ports is practically in the Port of Garrucha and involves the loading of tonnes of gypsum from the Sorbas quarries in Almeria.
The maritime traffic of the commercial port of Garrucha corresponds almost entirely to the type of solid bulk, corresponding to the loading of natural gypsum from the Sorbas quarries, located 30 kilometres from the port. In recent years, there has also been cargoes of limestone, pozzolana, crushed marble and gravel.
Blue Economy
In Andalusia, the Blue Economy is synonymous with 300,000 jobs, more than 10% of Andalusia’s annual GDP and a turnover of 17 billion euros per year. The Blue Economy is made up of between 4,000 and 5,000 Andalusian SMEs whose activity is directly linked to the marine environment. The Regional Government will invest 17.7 million euros in the 52 Andalusian port facilities this year alone.
In the period 2019-2022, more than 100 million euros have been invested, 245 percent more than what the previous government executed for the period 2015-2018, when it only allocated 41 million euros in four years.
Specifically, in the province of Almeria, the Andalusian Government has invested more than 13 million euros in the last four years in the ports of Roquetas, Adra, Villaricos and also Garrucha, which has allowed the modernisation and environmental sustainability of the port facilities and the revitalisation of economic activity and the creation of employment and wealth in the surrounding area.