The dredger that operates every year at the entrance to the Port of Sitges, taking out sand built up at the mouth of that area, has begun its seasonal work. The dredging started last week with the barge Salimar Cuatro, hired by the port authorities.
The dredging involves removal of some 6,000 cubic metres of sand accumulated at the entrance to the port, which hampers access for boats. This work is done every year after the winter storms, which always bring sand towards the port entrance.
This year, however, the sand will be taken out to sea opposite Balmins and St Sebastiàn beaches in the hope that it will be carried ‘naturally’ to those two beaches, according to information from the Sitges Town Council. In other years the sand was taken away to beaches in the Baix Llobregat, which led to protests from the local tourism sector due to the lack of sand on various Sitges beaches.
The SitgesHospitality Guild had asked that this sand be brought to the worst affected beaches, like Riera Xica and l’Estanyol, but the council argued that the amount extracted by Salimar Cuatro ‘is totally insufficient’ for even the minimum needs of those two beaches.
The barge has been working all this week, and it is expected that it will have finished by the weekend.
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