Urdaibai is a symbol of nature conservation, but for anyone who wants to see it, fraud is obvious. Among pinares and eucalyptus, the scrap shops, the Panpa launchers, the dirty water and the destructive initiatives for tourists, lies predominate.

Biscay Maite

Biscay. Autzagana, in Amorebieta. Door to Urdaibai. Here the road takes a form of a freeway. Up there are two tunnels. Double lanes. It was planned to be a single tunnel and two pipelines. They have not complied with. Leaving the tunnel you enter the famous Urdaibai. Welcome to paradise.

The tunnel has had to be executed in two phases, since it has begun to excavate and at a certain point water has been found inside the mountain. They had been warned. The technicians had said so. Also the baserritars of the area. “Down there, the waters!” The Representative did not listen to them, and go! The planned EUR 36 million for works has become EUR 69.7 million in cost overruns. They say that it is customary for the award of works to go down, the commission of the works to be carried out, the funds to be collected and, of course, that these amounts are not sufficient for the execution of the works and that a new item is needed. And the administration. Welcome to the scams between administrations and business.

I saw you yesterday morning

On the other side of the tunnel, there are examples of what the owners here call “forestry”. Pinares and eucalyptus. Pinar owners are waiting for public solutions, since they are sick with fungi. Will pesticides be used for fungal extraction? The response whistles in the wind. As the slope descends, the road narrows. Bridge over the road. The Deputy General of Bizkaia has said on a number of occasions: “Urdaibai is poorly communicated.” Welcome to the world of lies.

Town of Muxika. On the other side of the railway line, at the top, the selloan Cortaderia, i.e. the Panpa Bush. Those that in rare times seemed beautiful to us have become pests for a long time. The Council has already announced the solution in 2009. He did not comply with the order. In ten years the solution looks faraway and expensive. Another serious problem that has allowed “our administration models” to rot.

And that workshop that's becoming scrap. It was one of the most polluting factories in Bizkaia. After countless illegal moves, they had to close. "Guilty?" Ecologists,” many will answer you. Another lie for the sack. They have forgotten the smoke of that company, called Inama, which was harmful to health. In any case, that company was given a boost, saying that industries are needed. The question, however, is what have been the causes of the crisis that Busturialde has been experiencing for almost forty years in the industrial area, and what solutions have been sought.

First reflection

The limits of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve do not entirely coincide with the Busturialdea region. The Diputación de Bizkaia del Franco gave it the name of “Comarca Guernica -Bermeo”. In the book he published with this name he published his projects on the region. Most of the projects have been undertaken by the current institutions, including the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. Both then and now, capital and lords are your ladies. In Busturialdea, the crisis broke out in the 1980s, and the declaration of the Biosphere Reserve has nothing to do with that.

Giving it and opening up

You've come to Gernika. If you go to football and rugby fields, you'll see the dirty water treatment plant. You'll be surprised. Because you will see that a large volume of what you have to purify goes directly to the river. How many years have you set it up? How did they not fix it? When will they fix it? “Once the works of the Urdaibai Integral Sanitation have been completed”. “And that, when will it be?” Ha! Don't expect an answer. The completion of the sanitation work was scheduled for 2004. In any case, what are fifteen years of river pollution. The Gernika sewage treatment plant gives and extends its fruit, i.e. untreated dirty water, with soap foam.

That you didn't come for sports and go to the sea? You have the opportunity to leave the car to catch the train or bus. You can see the right margin of the Oka River. On the contrary, the train will take you to the same height of the estuary that is the Urdaibai axis. So you can see the most protected spaces in the Biosphere Reserve occupied by invasive species. In addition to these feathers, this is the beautiful Baccharis halimofilia, especially in the fall. To know the situation you can go to the Board of the Ekoetxea Reserve. In the place where a reception room was needed there is a restaurant and a bar, because gastronomy is also part of the environment.

Second thoughts

Worse is the case of the Urremendi entity. The one that appeared as a “rural development” organization has today become an “tourism development” organization. In the region, agritourism residences have multiplied to help rural villages. To get to know the world of the farmhouse, it is enough to approach the square on Monday of Gernika. What is shown on the famous Monday of October is not a portrait of local reality. The Monday of October is a showcase for something else.

Uncle Tom's cabin

Back on the train, we'll see the BBK colony as we go ahead. Uncle Tom wanted to install his second Guggenheim caset there in 2009. The project was not immediately disclosed. In any case, when the idea was launched, the Urdaibaietz platform was created. As a result, the construction of the second caset was suspended. When the second government of Urkullu was established, it decided to amend the Governing Plan for Use and Management of the Urdaibai Reserve (PRUG). The Urdaibaietz platform, the Zain Dezagun Urdaibai initiative and other groups and people have called for the new PCTI, which de facto allows you to do almost everything you want in the Reserve. The date of the judgment is unknown. Parliament unanimously approved the suspension of some of its articles. A year and a half ago. This decision at the moment has not materialised.

What does flowing water bring?

Be careful if you come to the beaches! Thanks to the Gernika Debugger, only two are useful with full health guarantee: Aritzatxu by Bermeo and Ibarrangelu Waukee. In other cases, they get into the water, personal responsibility. And Mundaka, which seems to be one of the capitals of the surf world? Ask the surfers what comes for the estuary. What brings the water flows, yes, but the dirty waters that come from Gernika drown him and hurt him all.

Black Larrinaga palace

Once in Mundaka, if you have come by car without the advice of coming by train and you have managed to park, what better than to take a walk through the town. “Ño,” you did not expect to see that this palace, which was one of the best in Bizkaia, full of history, is no more than three walls. If the one who said “I take out the pistol that I hear the word culture,” here, if you say words like culture or heritage, those around you ask for “another wine!” and look aside. Oh Larrinaga Palace, our black palace! You are a disgrace to the people.

The Touch of Your Song

Bermeo, the end of the journey. If you hope that in this town that for centuries has been the nest of the Basque Country you will understand the citizenship to speak in Basque, you will have no choice. In the last ten years its use has been halved. If at present the percentage of Euskaldunes is 88%, street use is only 33%.

Beyond Bermeo, outside the Reserve but in this beautiful space called biotope, is San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Dragonstone from the ‘Game of Thrones’ series. There are thousands of people visiting during the summer. How long will this beautiful setting last? Go, look at it and you will answer us.

The most beautiful corner of the world

This little chronicle has been a little apocalyptic to us, the truth. According to the official websites you have reached one of the most beautiful corners of the world. Click on them and forget about all of this. We've only mentioned some of the valleys on the left margin of the Urdaibai Estuary. It looks like the right is better. In any case, the forests are full of arriostraciones, the roads that are closed, the rural centers are full of neo-rural chalets and the communications are scarce. There is no shortage of problems and fraud. We close this window with the words of the Bitoriano Gandiaga fraile and Mendata poet.

Continue to care for the pedrisco

on the basis of stones

Multiple and Clean.

Caring for the country

on foot, towns,

and Maraz Divers.

(Bitoriano Gandiaga)

* Edorta Jimenez and Erroxeli Ojinaga are members of the Zain Dezagun Urdaibai group

This article has been published in the journal 'Hordago-El Salto' and we have brought it with the license CC by-sa to ARGIA