Ibiza has become invaded by a “plague” of rats, according to local Spanish news reports.
Dozens of the infectious rodents have invaded the city of Ibiza’s Es Pla de Vila area on the coast.
Rat corpses are being left on the pavements, while for months, residents living on the popular tourist island have shared photos and videos of corpses and living rodents in social networks.
The rats are believed to have come from an abandoned building site covered in trash in the centre of the city.
The problem has been made worse by the rubbish bags left to fester on the pavements, due to a poor bin collection service.
The People’s Party, who are the opposition party, have commented on the problem – which they refer to as a “plague”.
“Far from being solved, the problem of plagues grows every day, and there are continuous complaints about this issue in all neighbourhoods of the city.”
Parent associations at nearby schools have also voiced concerns about the presence of rats in playgrounds for a year.
The People’s Party addressed not only the island’s rat problem, but also the overwhelming number of cockroaches invading.
They added that the growing number of rats and cockroaches in the city is “a problem with an obvious public repercussion”.
This is because it is a tourist city, so one of the main objectives for the city council should be to ensure hygiene and public health on the street.
Representatives from the party have asked the local Government of Vila to provide information about the measures they are adopting, if any to tackle the vermin problem.
Ibiza, along with other Balearic islands such as Majorca, are currently facing a tourism crisis as the local government plans to implement a tourism tax in summer this year.
The controversial tourist tax will force holidaymakers to pay up to €4 extra a day.
Cruise ship passengers will also be required to pay €2 each a day, even for a stop off on the island lasting less than 12 hours.
The move may cause cruise ships to boycott the Balearic Islands, following a row between the Cruise Lines International Association and the Balearic government.
