Verdemar EA has filed a complaint with the Junta de Andalucía over the inaction of Manilva Town Hall in the face of environmental damage from Bahía de las Rocas to Cala de las Sardinas-Chullera.
Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción has filed a complaint with the Territorial Delegation for Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy of the Junta de Andalucía in Málaga over the failure of Manilva Town Hall to act against the serious environmental changes taking place around Bahía de las Rocas.
The environmental organisation recalls that during 2025 and 2026 it has repeatedly brought to the Town Hall’s attention significant earthworks, the formation of large embankments, the destruction of Mediterranean woodland, the alteration of the landscape and the possible impact on the Arroyo de Calalaraje, without, in its view, effective measures having been taken to prevent further environmental damage.
In response to the requests for information made by Verdemar, the Town Hall reported the existence of at least two administrative files: File Gestiona 6374/2025, opened over earthworks on plots designated for educational use, green space and a stream bed, and File Gestiona 12264/2022, relating to a project to restore and legalise earthworks on the bank of the Arroyo de Calalaraje.
However, Verdemar complains that, while these files remain under processing, the transformation of the land has continued, increasing the impact on the natural environment.
The association considers the situation of the Arroyo de Calalaraje particularly worrying, as its channel flows into the Ensenada de Cala Sardina, a site of great ecological value where there are Posidonia oceanica meadows and protected marine species such as Patella ferruginea (ferruginous limpet) and Pinna rudis (rough pen shell).
According to Verdemar, the earthworks, the removal of natural vegetation and the alteration of the basin’s drainage may encourage sediments and pollutants to be washed into the sea, with possible effects on these protected habitats and species. Added to this are the increase in urban development pressure and the repeated sewage spills that the organisation has been reporting for years along this stretch of coastline.
In the complaint filed with the Junta de Andalucía, Verdemar requests that the work carried out at Bahía de las Rocas be inspected, that it be determined whether environmental assessment regulations have been complied with, and that information be provided on any environmental authorisations and reports that may have been issued.
The organisation also calls for an analysis of the cumulative effects resulting from the alteration of the land, the destruction of the Mediterranean woodland, the possible impact on the Arroyo de Calalaraje and its influence on the Ensenada de Cala Sardina, where some of the most valuable marine ecosystems on the Málaga coast converge.
Verdemar considers that protecting this area requires immediate action by the Junta de Andalucía and recalls that public authorities have an obligation to prevent environmental deterioration, ensure the conservation of public watercourses and protect the habitats and species of Community interest present in this part of the Andalusian coast.
