Spain hauls in 8 tonnes of jellyfish from beaches

MADRID, Aug 8 (Reuters) Spain has launched a campaign to investigate and collect a plague of jellyfish on its coastline, and so far has collected eight tonnes of them, the Environment Ministry said.

The ministry's ''Campaign for the Study and Detection of Groupings of Jellyfish'' has attracted 200 volunteers who are being specially trained to study the jellyfish and find out what attracts them to the coastline.

''A vigilance network has been created to detect banks of jellyfish and predict their possible arrival on beaches,'' the ministry said in a statement yesterday.

The increase in jellyfish, a nuisance for holidaymakers in the Mediterranean in particular, is believed by climate experts to be due to warmer sea temperatures and the reduction in predators such as tuna and turtles.

Reuters RC VP0442