Rodrigo Pintueles, the councillor for Environment and Sustainability in Gijón, is set to collect the renewed EcoPlayas 2026 flags for the beaches of San Lorenzo, Poniente, and Arbeyal this Thursday. The ceremony will take place at the Palacio de Congresos in La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz, marking the conclusion of the XXIV International Congress and Exhibition of Beaches, organised by Ategrus.
The municipal application, coordinated by EMULSA, highlights the evolution of beach management through three main actions: enhancing cleaning services, improving universal accessibility, and incorporating scientific research and prevention measures against new environmental risks.
“The renewal of the EcoPlayas flags recognises the work we are doing to care for our coastline from a comprehensive perspective,” Pintueles stated. “It is not just about keeping the beaches clean, but also ensuring they are accessible to everyone and integrating new tools to improve their safety and sustainability.”
The Special Beach Cleaning Plan 2026 by EMULSA is a cornerstone of the application, featuring a team that adapts its resources to user influx, tides, storms, and the presence of algae and other natural debris, with specific reinforcement during the bathing season. In July, the specific operation employed 21 workers, while the afternoon team increased to 41 during July and August to enhance cleaning in leisure and hospitality areas near the beaches.
Mechanical cleaning through sifting is conducted daily during the bathing season, with a second machine deployed during peak activity months. In 2025, EMULSA dedicated 9,122 hours to beach maintenance in Gijón, removing 503,731 kilograms of waste, of which approximately 463,000 kilograms were organic matter, primarily algae and marine vegetation.
“Maintaining our beaches requires ongoing and flexible planning, capable of responding to daily conditions while balancing service quality with respect for the natural dynamics of the coastline,” Pintueles noted.
The second action focuses on the Accessible Beach Project at Poniente, aimed at assisting people with disabilities or reduced mobility. This initiative facilitates access to the beach and enjoyment of swimming through personalised assistance and adapted facilities. Resources include accessible changing rooms, toilets, lockers, tactile paving, audioplayas, amphibious chairs and crutches, as well as information in braille and pictograms. Additionally, trained staff, including professionals fluent in sign language, are available to meet users' needs. By 24 August, 2,527 assistances had been recorded, marking a 19.4% increase compared to the entire 2025 season and a 24.1% rise from 2024, along with 176 new registrations.
“Accessibility should not be seen as an add-on but as an essential part of coastal management and the commitment of the City Council to ensure everyone can enjoy Gijón's beaches,” Pintueles emphasised.
The third highlighted initiative is the Physalia Asturias 2026 project, aimed at enhancing knowledge and response capabilities regarding the presence of Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) and other safety challenges for beachgoers. This initiative is a collaboration between the City Council of Gijón, the BIOPARC Aquarium of Gijón, the Gijón Oceanographic Centre of IEO-CSIC, the University of Oviedo, and the Port Authority of Gijón. The project combines scientific research, species monitoring, staff training, prevention, and evaluation of potential mitigation measures.
In 2026, specific training actions for EMULSA staff have been implemented, alongside initial experimental trials with floating barriers in controlled environments, progressively simulating natural conditions. These trials are purely scientific and aim to generate evidence to assess the future utility of such solutions.
“We aim to advance towards a management approach that does not merely react to problems but anticipates them through research, training, and collaboration with scientific institutions,” Pintueles concluded.
