The Calafell City Council has started this Thursday to place signs on the promenade warning that buying "top manta" products can lead to a fine of 20,000 euros. The campaign starts coinciding with Easter Week, one of the periods in which the municipality gains population and the presence of these vendors also increases.
The signage is expressly aimed at buyers of products considered illegal and sets an amount that far exceeds the fines usually contemplated by municipal ordinances in other municipalities for this type of conduct, where sanctions usually range between 300 and 700 euros.
A campaign at a time of maximum influx
The initiative has been activated at a key moment for Calafell. From Easter, the town registers a strong influx of visitors and second-home owners during weekends. That population increase coincides with an increase in the number of "top manta" sellers in high-traffic areas, especially on the seafront.
The council seeks to launch a deterrent message right at the start of the busiest season. It is not the first time that a measure of this type has been proposed. Last year, a similar initiative was already announced in which it was pointed out that sanctions could reach 400 euros.
Local trade pressure
The campaign arrives in a context of claims from the business fabric of the municipality. Forum Calafell, an entity that groups businessmen from different sectors and especially from commerce, has been asking for actions to stop the activity of the top manta sellers.
Merchants argue that this sale constitutes unfair competition for businesses that operate regularly. The signs installed by the City Council also insist on several arguments directed at the consumer. Among them, that these products do not pass quality controls, that they harm the country's economic activity, and that this activity benefits organized groups that do not comply with the law.
Difficulties to punish the buyer
The campaign is also framed within a scenario marked by the difficulty of sanctioning the buyer. Despite the forceful message of the posters, the actual application of fines for acquiring this type of product is not simple, and the amounts contemplated by municipal ordinances where that possibility exists are far from the 20,000 euros announced now on the promenade.
With this measure, Calafell reinforces the pressure on demand on the eve of the weekends with the highest influx, when the municipality multiplies its population and the top blanket gains visibility on the street. The municipal objective is to try to curb purchases at a point especially sensitive for the tourist and commercial activity of the town.