Supplier News
Spain – Greenpeace claims BCN World will lead to further destruction of coastline
By Phil - 25 August 2016
Greenpeace has highlighted BCN World as one of eight developments which they say will further destroy the natural beauty of the Mediterranean and south Atlantic coasts.
Greenpeace has outlined the damage already sustained on the Spanish coast based on a report published by the Spanish Sustainability Observatory under the the National Geographic Institute with data collected by Corine Land Cover (a Pan-European land use and landcover mapping programme) and which in turn in headed by the European Environment Agency.
“The report suggests some data from a damaged and asphyxiated coast and as experts point out continuing like this will only lead to to collapse,” said Pilar Marcos of Greenpeace.
The report highlights the speed at which developments have occurred, the magnitude of the building work on the coast as well the new type of economic model used along the coast which is based on attracting tourism and which in turn presents a “serious risk” to the environment due to the volume of visitors flocking to coastal regions. The report also highlights the “disappearance of natural ecosystems” of “ecological interest” which have been “transformed into artificial areas.”
BCN World is among eight new projects which in the opinion of Greenpeace could “contribute to the destruction of the Mediterranean and the South Atlantic in Andalucía.” Greenpeace names “BCN World” in Tarragona, as one of the projects threatening the Spanish coastline and describes it as “the supposedly abandoned Eurovegas project which has now been renamed and reduces the number of casinos and which the President of Catalonia, Puigdemont , has defined as a ‘strategic’ investment.”
Hard Rock, Melco and Peralada the three companies interested in the leisure and entertainment complex BCN World in Catalonia deposited a bond of €2.5m each committing to buy land where the hotels, casinos and shopping areas will be built last month.
One or two more large scale casinos will be part of the newly established Tourist and Recreation Complex (CRT) as the project in Vila-seca as Salou is now provisionally known. Both Melco and Hard Rock are competing to operate a casino each while the Peralada Group in partnership with the Genting Group are also competing to be the sole operator and would run a single large scale casino in the resort.
