The plan has a duration of three years and a budget of 141,500 euros
The Balearic Islands Wildlife Recovery Consortium (COFIB) has resumed the project to eradicate the invasive species Carpobrotus edulis (2021-24) on the island of Formentera.

They have removed about 4.9 tons of this invasive species in an area of approximately 2,805 m2. The main extensions have been removed in Penyal d’es Vi (921 m2), La Savina (867 m2), Cala en Baster (567 m2), Playa de Tramuntana (188 m2), Es Carnatge (165 m2) and Platja dels Veletes (85 m2).

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The eradication plan has a budget of 141,500 euros and is financed with COFIB’s own funds. In 2021, the locations of this species were surveyed throughout the island, although there are still areas that are difficult to access, such as cliffs or islets, to be surveyed.

The so-called French fry or balsam potato (Carpobrotus sp.) is native to South Africa but, as a result of trade, it arrived in the Balearic Islands where it quickly achieved a prominent role as an ornamental plant. It has a great invasive capacity and, in fact, it is listed in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species (RD 630/2013). Therefore, there is a legal need for control and, if possible, eradication. They often occupy very sensitive ecosystems of high landscape and ecological value, such as the coastline, both rocky and sandy. They completely cover the substrate, choking out native species of great conservation importance, and ultimately creating a monospecific ecosystem. Eradication is not easy, as any fragments left in the environment quickly take root as new plants.

Invasive species are the main cause of biodiversity loss in the Balearic Islands, hence the importance of control, especially in areas of high ecological value and especially sensitive areas such as wetlands.