Sa Gleda - CLOSED

[gianaameri]

Sa Gleda has been closed today (I had a nice last dive though ).

See: http://www.rebreathermallorca.com/video/SG/SG.jpg

In the meantime the President of the Federacion Balear de Espeleologia who has no cave diving certification whatsoever and his buddies also without cave diving certification continue to dive as they please Cova de Pas de Vallgornera - effectively denying other European state citizens their rightful access to the cave.

Expect more of the same going forward.

[nakatomi]

So who is to blame for the closing of San Gleda? And what made it happen just now?
Since it is on private property, how can they even restrict access?

[gianaameri]

The President of the FBE without consultation wrote to the local authority recommending that cave diving in Sa Gleda be prohibited because the FBE cannot control the access and there is no regulation put in place by the local authority.

In the meantime, he dives Cova de Pas de Vallgornera without cave certification and has no problem keeping that cave open (for himself and his friends).

[FredMgt]

It is somewhat "logical", as the new rules from this summer were impossible to put in place. I mentioned it at the time: "if you know someone at the FBE/GNM, you will have access, otherwise..."
:-(

[gianaameri]

This is a request for total closure for all.

Will have to see the local authority formal response.

There are 30 LIC caves in Mallorca. Not just two.

[diverdarren]

Maybe it's a good thing that the president of the FBE isn't a certified cave diver. Maybe the problem will take care of itself.

[gianaameri]

You can see the videos posted by the President of the FBE diving without cave certification here: http://vimeo.com/guiemmr/videos/page:1/sort:date .

The Local Authority is about to publish (Spanish time) the Draft "Management Plan" for the PG1 Caves (basically the LIC caves in Mallorca).

After publication there will be a 30 day public consultation period.

I will publish the link and info. in the hope that the international diving community, instructors, dive associations and anybody interested in diving the LIC caves in Mallorca will get involved and participate in the public consultation with their suggestions.

Currently, in Spain diving without cave certification these caves is against national Spanish law and voids insurance (being gross negligence of the insured) and this also being against national law, but the Balearic Government allows the President of the FBE to do it (and so do others) with the consequent risks to themselves, other cave divers, and the cave formations.

I have made an early submission to the public consultation given the urgency of the matter and I include it below, but it was rejected by the authorities on technicalities.

It will be resubmitted as soon as the public consultation process officially re-opens.

De: Gian A. Ameri
Fecha: 4 de septiembre de 2014, 12:48
Asunto: PG1: PLAN DE GESTIÓN "COVES" - Aportaciones Publicas - URGENTE
Para: pia@dgqal.caib.es, participacio@xarxanatura.es

Bon dia!

Se pides copia del borrador de el PG1: PLAN DE GESTIÓN "COVES" para que puedo realizar aportaciones en conformidad a mi derechos de participacion publica.

En tema de espeleobuceo en esta cavidades como primera aportacio’ se pides:

1. Que se cumple el articulo 2.3 de el Orden de el Ministerio de Fomento de 14 Octubre 1997 y no se permites espeleobuceo en esta cavidades sin titulacio’ de espeleobuceo adecuada al nivel de pericolosidad de las cavidades. En el caso de las covas en la lista PG1 como hay mucho riesgo y son muy fragil esta titulacio’ debe ser de el maximo nivel (“Full Cave”) - se exigiria la certificación “Full Cave” (o como se llame el maximo nivel de formación en cuevas para cualquier certificadora privada) para poder acceder a ella.
2. Que se cumple el articulo 24.1 de el Orden de el Ministerio de Fomento de 14 Octubre 1997 y no se permites espeleobuceo en esta cavidades sin seguro de accidents y de responsabilidad civil. No todos los seguros cubren espeleobuceo. Todos lo seguros no cubren espeleobuce en caso de negligencia grave de el asegurado (para ejemplo incumplimento de el articulo 2.3 de el Orden de el Ministerio de Fomento de 14 Octubre 1997). AXA solo cubres accidentes de buceo recreativo, y no cubres acidedentes de espeleobuceo. DAN (considerado el mejor seguro para buceadores tanto recreativos como técnicos) cubre espeleobuceo SOLO SI estas certificado como espeleobuceador y buceas dentro de los limites de tu certificación. Generali (mutua de accidentes deportivos para Federados de Espeleologia en Espana) cubre espeleobuceo SOLO SI estas correctamente certificado para la actividad que estas desempeñando (es decir estar debidamente certificado con titulacio’ de espeleobuceo en el caso de covas PG1 a el maximo nivel “Full Cave”).
3. Que se cumple el articulo 5 requisito c) de de el Decreto 40/2007 y solo se permitirá al buceador participar en aquellas actividades para las cuales esté cualificado de acuerdo con su titulación y se considerará que su experiencia no es superior a la mÃ#nima requerida para haberla obtenido (es decir estar debidamente certificado con titulacio’ de espeleobuceo en el caso de covas PG1 a el maximo nivel “Full Cave”).
4. Que se cumple el ArtÃ#culo 6 de el Decreto 40/2007: “Seguridad para la práctica de buceo deportivo y recreativo: Todo practicante de buceo deportivo y recreativo tiene que seguir las determinaciones y tener en cuenta las prohibiciones en cuanto a la inmersión recogidas en la Orden del Ministerio de Fomento de 14 de octubre de 1997, por la que se aprueban las normas de seguridad para el ejercicio de actividades subacuáticas.”

Como en este momento en Baleares y en particular en la Cova de Pas de Vallgornera la Federacion Balear de Espeleologia permites la pratica de espeleobuceo en aparente incumplimento de los articulos a los punto 1, 2, 3, y 4 se pides de inserir estos comentos con URGENCIA en el primer borrador de PG1: PLAN DE GESTIÓN "COVES" que se publicara’ y de cual pido copia.

Anexo Ley y Normas.

Gracias,

[Danielsa]

You're right, Gian
Not only are flooded caves in Mallorca.
The logical procedure is to do in Mallorca things like they are in the rest of the world.
Yes, can be put in place quotas as in other sites. OK but, can also be require appropriate training for visitors to avoid damage in the caves or on visitors (cave diving certification) and adequate insurance covering accident and liability as required by national legislation and not to close the caves because some visits out of control .
The Cave Diving works well around the world and what all people have to do is to look at the countries with bigger experience and development in this issue and not invent new rules for Cave Diving at Mallorca..

[gianaameri]

The visitors must have appropriate training and insurance and this and that and more... but the President of the FBE need none of this and that and can dive with no cave certification whatsoever and sets the "quotas" such that Cova de Pas de Vallgornera is his own personal playground...

There is a limit to abuse.

[FredMgt]

Problem with FBE is they are cavers for whom there is water in the bottom of the caves.
On the other hand, 2 years ago, they (I mean spanish FBE divers) began to put pics on internet, videos on youTube, documentary on TV, ... because they are very proud of their caves. Than came the cave-divers from all around Europe who realize that Mallorca is worth Mexico, but closer and cheaper. Than problems arrive and everything went out of control.
There are only 2 ways to manage caves now: (1) commercially manage access or (2) close everything and only allow scientific dives. There is also a (3) keeping everything secret, but it is too late for Mallorca.
The second option is usually chosen by non-commercial federations. We have the same problems here in Belgium with flooded mines "managed/closed" by the caving federation.
So, the FBE will answer they make only "scientific/research" dives in SaGleda now....