An inter-institutional committee met for the first time at the Lekeitio City Hall with representatives from the Bizkaia Provincial Council, Red Cross, the Basque Government's Ports Directorate, and the Ertzaintza. The objective was to find solutions to the problems caused by massive visits to Garraitz Island.
Convened by the local mayor, the head of the Lekeitio local police and the municipal architect were also present. Their aim was to reflect on the risk situations and rescues occurring on the island in recent years, and to adopt measures for the upcoming summer season.
Among other issues, the competencies over the island were clarified. While the island's pier, specifically the breakwater, and the access stairs are under the jurisdiction of the Basque Government's Ports Directorate, the island itself is municipal and belongs to the Lekeitio City Council.
“"As it has jurisdiction over the passage, it bears full responsibility for this route, and they wanted to emphasize that access to the island is not the responsibility of the City Council."
However, the Ports Directorate has explained that its responsibility is to maintain the infrastructure in good condition, which is being met as both the breakwater and the stairs are in good condition. But they added that the limitation is that the island is municipal, and they stressed that the breakwater providing access to the island is not a promenade. Nevertheless, they remain open to continuing to work towards a solution.
It should be recalled that during the last Easter holidays, 14 rescues were carried out in four days. The mayor attributed this situation to the massification of the tourism model in recent years, imprudence, and the effect of social media. They emphasized the importance of knowing the tides well to visit the island and return without problems via the breakwater, urging visitors to act with caution and responsibility, to be well-informed, and to respect the local community.
