Costa del Sol council denies plan to fine people peeing in the sea

Marbella city council has denied suggestions that anyone caught relieving themselves in the warm waters off one of the Costa del Sol’s best-known destinations could soon face a fine of up to €750 (£635).

At the end of May, the council approved a series of initiatives designed to improve the quality of the city’s famous beaches. Although the proposals also include sanctions for antisocial offences such as playing loud music or playing annoying ball games, the most eye-catching measure was the fine for those who carry out “physiological evacuations (bowel movements and urination) in the sea or on the beach”.

There was also bad news for repeat offenders: anyone caught getting caught short more than once in the space of a year could face a fine of up to €1,500.

The wording of the bylaw soon gave rise to bafflement, ridicule and ample media speculation.

When the Spanish TV programme Tiempo al tiempo sent a reporter to the beach to gauge public reaction, the proposal was met with incredulity.

“Who’s going to find out?” asked one man, who confessed to peeing in the sea more than once. “The jellyfish?” Another beachgoer was equally bemused: “Are there going to be police officers on the lookout? I just don’t get it.”

However, a spokesperson for the city council later clarified the proposals, saying they would not apply to open water.

“The bylaw does not impose a sanction for peeing in the sea,” they said in an email to the Guardian. “It will not be applicable. The bylaw regulates possible antisocial infractions on the beach, just as any such acts are regulated in any public space such as on the city’s streets.”

Asked about the wording of the bylaw, the spokesperson said it referred to the fact that people might pee into the sea from the shore or from breakwaters.

Marbella is not the first Spanish city to resort to such measures. In 2004, Málaga introduced a €300 fine for “physiological evacuation on the beach or in the sea”, while a similar, €750 sanction came into effect two years ago in the Galician city of Vigo.

The measure elicited confusion and amusement in both Spain and neighbouring Portugal.

“If you’re heading there for your summer holidays, be careful where you urinate,” warned Portuguese media at the time. “Peeing in the sea or on the beach will result in a fine.”