How does a person from Bilbao end up in Maó?

In Bilbao, there was a lot of competition for pilot jobs and I didn’t see a lot of opportunities. On the other hand, I had sailed for many years with Iscomar and the Balearic ports were familiar to me. So I sat the exam in Madrid in June 2000 and I have been in Maó ever since. I’m very content with the work I have done.

What training does a pilot have to do?

The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) has new vehicle scales in the port of Palma. The new system enables automated weighing that is controlled from the APB security gates at the entrances to the different restricted areas.

Since 2015, Palma's port facilities have had a weighing scale that can be used in both directions on the commercial docks, two scales (one inbound and one outbound) on the Poniente wharf, and another one on the Dique del Oeste (West dock).

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has put out to tender the contract for the refurbishment of the first floor of Building A of the port of La Savina, situated in the Levante dock, between the Commercial and the fishing docks. After the refurbishment, the building will house the APB offices, which are currently located in the Casa del Mar building.

The eleven lighthouses in Mallorca and Dragonera will be equipped with a data-capture counting system to record visitor numbers. The data-captures will provide information on occupancy and trends in the usage of the facilities. Technicians have already begun installing the cameras and the entire network is expected to be up and running soon.

The project forms part of Mallorca Island Council’s ‘Smart Island Mallorca’ initiative. It aims to capture data on visitor numbers at places of cultural interest and tourist attractions and is being backed by public business entity Red.es

The old lighthouse of Sóller, currently in disuse, will soon be renovated by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). The frequent winds in the area and its difficult location mean that the lighthouse is currently in a poor state of conservation.

According to the traffic statistics of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), during 2020, 12,327,169 tons of goods passed through the ports of general interest in the Balearic Islands, which corresponds to a decrease of -24% in traffic compared to 2019.

The decrease in goods traffic has affected all ports, which was undoubtedly due to the health situation and mobility limitations. A general decrease in goods has been registered in all ports, with -24% in the port of Palma, -27% in Maó, -30% in Alcúdia, -25% in Eivissa and -16% in La Savina.

The Fishermen's Association of Formentera will have a new building in the port of La Savina paid for by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). The work ended this January and a formal request has already been received from the Fishermen's Association to occupy and equip the property.

It should be noted that the new location is closer to the fishing pier and to the area for spreading and repairing nets to facilitate the fishermen’s work. The project has also been approved by the Consell de Formentera and the APB.

1,030 people visited the Maritime Signals exhibition at Portopí Lighthouse in 2020. Despite the health alert situation, which has forced the lighthouse to close for four months (from March to July), a significant number of visits to it and to the exhibition have been registered.

It is one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the world, the second oldest in Spain, behind the Tower of Hercules in La Coruña and the third in the world after the Genova Lantern Lighthouse.

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) opens a tender for improving the energy efficiency of public lighting at the port of Palma, Portixol and Molinar.

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), in collaboration with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), has launched a trial version of the Signals XXI mobile application, aimed at improving the marine hazard alert system and sending alerts through the mobile phone to those skippers whose course, speed and draught indicate to the platform an imminent risk of collision or incorrect anchoring.