Barcelona, 11 September 2026, Lifeguards and the FeSMC-UGT union are demanding a new Catalan law to regulate beach safety, following a summer in which 26 people drowned along the coast. The SOS Lifeguards platform and union say the current regulatory framework, dating from 1972, is obsolete and fails to guarantee minimum safety standards or consistent lifeguard coverage.
Spokespersons Clara Roca, Julián Stratio, and Nacho Ibáñez announced a protest for next Wednesday in Plaça Sant Jaume, Barcelona, timed to coincide with the formal end of lifeguard contracts. Despite this administrative endpoint, beaches remain heavily used, they say, leaving bathers unprotected. “Behind each of these deaths there is the same reality: the absence of a common regulation that guarantees minimum safety standards along the entire coast,” they stated.
The current system allows each municipality to set its own rules on lifeguard ratios, season length, and infrastructure, creating a patchwork of protection. In Tarragona alone, 15 drowning deaths were recorded by 31 July, according to Civil Protection data, accounting for 45% of Catalonia’s annual total. The 2026 summer is on track to be the deadliest in recent years.
Demand for Year-Round Protection
Lifeguards are calling for the bathing season to be formally extended from Easter to October, aligning with actual beach use. They also demand a lifeguard post every 200 metres on busy beaches, equipped with watchtowers, first-aid stations, and rescue equipment, standards already applied in the Balearic and Canary Islands.
It’s time to say that the season must be extended and that safety cannot be seasonal.
Mar Montada, general secretary of FeSMC-UGT in Girona, stressed that the issue is not just about working conditions but public safety: “The season lasts much longer, and it is the lifeguards who provide the first response in emergencies.”
Push for Binding Legislation
The platform has already presented its case to the Catalan Parliament and secured cross-party support. Clara Roca confirmed they are working to convert this backing into a parliamentary resolution urging the government to draft a law without delay. They insist that lifeguard services must be mandatory for all coastal municipalities.
Additional demands include full enforcement of the collective agreement, ensuring lifeguards have adequate resources, and launching coordinated public prevention campaigns led by experienced personnel. The organisations warn that without legal reform, preventable tragedies will continue.
Reported by cope.es, gerio.cat, catalannews.com, diaricatalunya.cat, bdndigital.cat, Beach Safety Project, radio onda cero, 3CatInfo.
