The nautical clubs of the Balearic Islands call on political parties to move from words to facts. Otherwise, the federated activity of sailing and pyragüism will disappear... in the image the Nautico of Ibiza that is 99 years old (Photo archive of the ACNB)

The Association of the Nautical Clubs of the Balearic Islands (ACNB), representing 12,000 associated families of the Balearic Islands, deeply regrets the loss of the concession of the Nautical Club of Ibiza (CNI) in favour of a company without any sporting experience and warns that, if there are no urgent legislative changes that provide for the protection of the nautical and maritime activities of the island, the federal activities of sailing and piragüism will disappear.

The Ibiza Nautical Club has been meant throughout its 99 years of history for the promotion of sport and nautical activities. This work has been recognized with the award of the Ibiza Gold Medal and the Ramón Llull Award, among other prestigious awards that demonstrate an exemplary trajectory, but it has been of no use in renewing its concession. The fact that a limited company to which there is no knowledge of the least link with sports management is to exploit the facilities of an entity such as the CNI shows how far the regulatory rule of State ports is from defending the true general interest.

The decision taken yesterday by the Board of Administration of the Harbour Authority of the Balearic Islands, by granting the concession of the facilities of the Ibiza Nautical Club to the business society Ports and Litoral Sustainable, represents a new varapalus for the social marina in the Balearic Islands and is in the process of gentification derived from the current Law of Ports of the State, which completely ignores the sports work of the nautical clubs, its heritage and its divulging function of the culture of the sea and vertebrating of the society.

In the face of this desperate situation, ACNB calls on political parties to, beyond making high-profile pronouncements and to put forward non-legal proposals that have proved to be without any effectiveness, give an immediate response to the citizen's demand to ensure access to the sea by amending the Law on State Ports and the Merchant Navy, so as to include an express and unambiguous recognition of the uniqueness of the nautical clubs.

ACNB is grateful for the praise that the political representatives of the Islands have devoted years to the activity of the nautical clubs of the Balearic Islands, but the time of words is over. It's time to act and do it now. The loss of the concession of the Ibiza Nautical Club, which is added to those of the Marines of the Molinar and Mahon, should cause a clear and immediate reaction of the parties that dissuades opportunistic companies, in many cases newly created and without the least social implantation, from setting up business on the ruins of the historic nautical clubs.