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PALMA Aquarium has blasted the plastic pollution harming Mallorca’s marine life. In a damning interview its conservation boss insists the problem is ‘getting worse’ and there is an ‘urgent need’ to tackle it or face seeing hundreds more turtles, sharks and dolphins die. It comes after the Olive Press revealed that the authorities are being probed over the alleged illegal use of plastics in the expansion of the Muelle de Ponent port in Palma. “The rubbish we find in the sea is just horrendous,” Aquarium director Debora Morrison told the Olive Press. “It is very rare we do not find a turtle that is not affected by plastic. “Seven years ago one of the major problems was fishing hooks. Now most of our animals - I would say 90% - are entangled in plastic or ropes. “We had one this week with a quarter of her shell missing. She was wrapped up in a massive ball of plastic and ropes. We operated on her yesterday.” She added: “It is definitely getting worse.” Morrison’s team has been subcontracted by the Mallorca government to rescue and rehabilitate turtles, sharks and dolphins since 2014. And as the summer months bring tourist crowds to the island, the problem of rub-
Dad’s joy on being reunited with daughter, 7, after church ‘abduction’ EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan
A MALLORCA-BASED dad has thanked the Olive Press after he was reunited with his seven-year-old daughter after she was ‘abducted’ and taken to a Norwegian church by his ex-partner. British expat Dominic Shepherd, 40, said he was ‘elated’ after winning back Maia, six months after Tonje Bjornsen, 37, fled to the church seeking ‘asylum’ with their child. As we reported exclusively two months ago, Bjornsen ‘abducted’ Maia and her 10-year-old brothers, Tobias and Christian, last year after claiming she was going to Norway to visit her sick mother.
Recordbreaking flights SON Sant Joan airport is set for its busiest ever day this week. A record 190,000 passengers and 1,117 flights are due to land or take off this Saturday, with a plane landing or arriving every minute. “From June to September we have more flights than Madrid and Barcelona,” said airport boss Antoni Planells. This summer, 18% more Germans have flown to the island, with a 14% increase in British visitors and 5% more Spaniards.
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As the show on everyone’s lips drew to a close, our romeo reporter Joe got an exclusive look at the Love Island mansion SEE PAGE 6
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BRAVE: Ignacio Echverria and (top) Sergio Farina
TRUE HEROES
A PAIR of Spanish heroes came to Londoners the aid of attacked by three crazed terrorists at the weekend. Ignacio Echeverria and Sergio stepped in to Farina save the lives of innocent bystanders caught up in the carnage that killed seven and injured 48. It has now firmed thatbeen conIgnacio Echeverria, from Madrid, who defended a woman from the terrorists one of , died in the attack. Echeverria, said to have 39, is his way homebeen on skate park on from a urday night the Satattempted to when he woman with defend a board in his skateBorough Market. He was last seen lying on the pavemen t.
Onslaught
In a second incident, a heroic Spanish put his life on waiter the line during the onslaugh t. CCTV footage Sergio Farina, shows PLEA: Dominic from Shepherd with Galicia, throw himself EXCLUSIVE kids against the door By Joe Duggan bar to prevent of his AN expat has the knife-bra one of made an urgent ndishing appeal to have terrorists from Choking back entertears, the Brityear-old daughterhis sevening. ish expat, continued: from a Norwegian returned He managed “I am just concentrat worship in February. ing on keepter his ex-partner church afthe man fromto keep ing my head together ran off with Despite Shepherd entertheir child. holding’ her ing, because those before kids need a dad. daughter from winning joining custody of their Heartbroken the door to opening We just want Maia her twin brothers help anborn children, three British- Mallorca. Don’t miss our herd, 40, is Dominic Shepother person in a normal back so we can live Bjornsen is not C’an Pastilla involved in life.” allowing his daughter find special nightmare battle “I’m numb, a safety. His ordeal began but the boys Maia to with ex leave Spjelkavik Tonje Bjornsen, “You do not when Bjørnsen last August, Church in make me strong,” Shepherd, even think Ålesund. sought ‘refuge’ 37, after she Page 13 an IT expert, about it,” he with the children, left Spain in the place of based in Santa said, “I She now faces ostensibly Ponsa, could have simply for a holiday, es in Spain forcriminal charg- “I’ve hadtold the Olive Press. left, as everyone the island for after living on ‘illegally withnothing but support from friends I would havedid, but However two three years. and family.” people behind.”left 28 received a call weeks later he He added that ner to say she from his partwas not coming could see was ‘all he back. with dynamite a guy Mystified, the ’ as distraught he tried to lower dad was forced to the bar DE MALLORCA windows’ shutters. Convention to use the Hague win legal cusHe added: tody of their children. “We did not know how But despite terrorists there many dicts in his three court verfavour, he was MORE and whether were forced to travel they would return.” revenue with to get his childrento Norway Dozens of pedestria Tel: 951 979 221 Bjornsen refused back after German clients! | sales@oaklandfurnitu ns to return were mowed them. respain.com Put your ads in down by a van on After picking Bridge before London EL AVISO Tobias and up the two boys attackChristian from ers stabbed school, he was newspaper! a police officer learn Bjørnsen stunned to and revellers around their daughter had fled with Market with Borough day is this week- whose birthCONTACT US See our adverts 12-inch - to live in a knives. local inside church. Ave de Gabriel Roca 971 619 234 More than “I was utterly 4, Palma 661 901 290 in a critical 20 remain said Shepherd,lost for words,“ condition. Info@el-aviso.es who has spo Spy Garbo’s links
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Desperate dad’s fight to win seven-yearback Norwegian old daughter from church asylu m
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FLASHBACK: June 9th were. “But I told her it seems to have worked and it was the angle we wanted to go in on these are British citizens and they have been abducted illegally’.” He continued: “Basically people stood up and listened and I’m sure I got more cooperation from the government in Norway because of the press articles.” Maia wasn’t allowed to leave the church to go to school, could only access a swing at the back of the church to play on and passed time learning to play the church organ. “She didn’t have any friends to play with,” said Shepherd. “She turned seven in there. I asked her how her birthday was and she shared it ‘with another girl’. “I said, ‘That’s nice, how how old was she?’ She said, ‘98’.” Shepherd is now hoping to get Maia into the same school as her brothers in September. “It was very emotional when they all met up again. Christian broke down crying and gave her a big hug. They all missed each other. “I feel elated. To have all three back together and see them all grow and develop together. “They shouldn’t have had to go through all this. But I couldn’t be prouder of all of them.” Continues on
FAMILY SELFIE: Maia with dad Dominic and brothers Tobias and Christian ger she was.” Bjornsen now faces two criminal charges in Spain over the abduction case.
Shepherd’s plight was reported exclusively in the Olive Press before being covered in the Mail On Sunday.
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Shepherd, an IT specialist, based in Santa Ponsa, won back all three children after taking the case to the Hague Convention, and was victorious in every subsequent custody court battle. But after the doting dad flew to Norway to collect the children in February, Bjornsen hid in the church in Alesund with Maia before Shepherd won a final court battle in July. “It was very emotional when I saw Maia again,” Shepherd told the Olive Press. “There were tears in both our eyes. “I hadn’t seen her for nearly a year. It’s almost impossible to describe that moment when you haven’t seen your own child for such a long time. “There are just so many emotions flowing but obviously just one of huge relief. She had grown a lot as well. It was 16/06/2017 15:36 quite a shock how much big-
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“I am so happy with your help...although one Norwegian journalist gave me a bit of stick for how direct you
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