Just 4% of the nearly 138,000 anchoring sites inspected this year in the Balearic Islands had an anchor or chain resting on posidonia seagrass, compared with 17.3% in 2018.
DID YOU LIKE THIS CONTENT? WELL... YOU HAVE ALL OF OUR FULL PROGRAMS HERE!The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, through the Posidonia Surveillance Service, managed by the Balearic Institute of Nature (IBANAT), recorded a total of 154,335 interventions during the 2026 season, which ran from May 15 to October 10th. The Service's duties include inspecting anchoring sites, providing information to boaters and offering guidance on anchoring manoeuvres.
The Service's vessels inspected 137,685 anchoring sites, provided information to 6,213 vessels and offered guidance to 4,927. In 5,510 cases, an anchor or chain was found resting on posidonia seagrass, and the vessels were required to relocate to sandy seabeds to prevent damage to the meadows. These 5,510 cases account for 4% of all anchoring sites inspected in the Balearic Islands, the lowest percentage ever recorded. According to the Service's records, this figure stood at 17.3% in 2018 (the Service's first year of operation) and 6.4% in 2025.
The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, stressed that "to anchor without damaging the seagrass meadows, it is essential to ensure that both the anchor and the chain rest on sandy seabeds, as the chain can come into contact with posidonia even when the anchor is correctly positioned."
Simonet explained that the Service carries out preventive work by providing information and guidance to boaters, in coordination with the authorities responsible for maritime surveillance and enforcement. When planning where to anchor, boaters can consult official maps and digital tools and applications that identify the locations of seagrass meadows.
Regarding the geographical distribution of activities, Mallorca recorded 49,157 interventions. During the season, 41,378 anchoring sites were inspected, skippers of 2,838 vessels were directly informed, and 2,778 vessels received guidance to ensure proper anchoring.
In 2,163 cases, an anchor or chain was found resting on posidonia, representing 5.2% of the anchoring sites inspected. Mallorca is one of the islands to have recorded the most significant improvements since 2018, when the percentage stood at 32.2%.
The municipalities of Palma, Calvià and Andratx, together with the bays of Pollença and Alcúdia, account for a significant proportion of the island's boating activity due to the high volume of vessels. In terms of anchoring on posidonia, Portocolom, Palma and Andratx continue to record the highest percentages, at around 6%, which is why the Service maintains a particularly strong presence in these areas.
Data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which tracks vessel positions in real time, also show a positive trend in the behaviour of larger vessels. These vessels can cause more extensive damage when anchoring but are increasingly choosing sandy seabeds.
In Menorca, the Service carried out 27,092 interventions, 15% more than in the previous season. A total of 24,807 anchoring sites were inspected, skippers of 942 vessels received information, and 389 vessels were provided with guidance on anchoring manoeuvres. In 954 cases, an anchor or chain was found resting on posidonia, representing 3.8% of inspected anchoring sites, compared with 5.3% in 2025 and 5.4% in 2018.
The areas of the island experiencing the greatest boating pressure are Cala Tosqueta, Cala Pregonda, Illa de l'Aire, Cales Coves, Cala Galdana and Macarella.
In Eivissa, the Service recorded 20,264 interventions and inspected 15,093 anchoring sites. It also provided direct information to the skippers of 2,089 vessels and offered guidance to 1,556 to facilitate proper anchoring.
In 1,526 cases, vessels were required to relocate their anchoring positions to sandy seabeds. These incidents represent 10% of inspected anchoring sites, compared with 21.3% in 2025 and 26.4% in 2018.
The areas of Talamanca, Sant Antoni Bay, Cala Bassa, Porroig and Cala Jondal experience significant boating pressure and continue to require special surveillance. In these locations, the lack of alternative mooring options makes the installation of mooring buoy fields particularly necessary, such as the one being developed in Talamanca.
Finally, Formentera recorded the highest number of interventions among the four islands, with a total of 57,822, carried out mainly in the areas of Ponent, Llevant, s'Espalmador and Cala Saona.
The Service inspected 56,407 anchoring sites, provided direct information to the skippers of 344 vessels and offered guidance to 204 vessels during anchoring manoeuvres. In 867 cases, an anchor or chain was found resting on posidonia, representing 1.5% of all inspected anchoring sites.
This is the lowest percentage in the Balearic Islands and confirms a sustained downward trend, following the 8.8% recorded in 2018 and 2.2% in 2025.
One of the particular findings on the island is that almost half of the improper anchoring incidents, specifically 438 cases, were caused not by the position of the anchor but by the chain, which can drag across the seagrass meadows even when the anchor is positioned on sand. For this reason, the Balearic Government also emphasises the importance of controlling the length of the chain during anchoring manoeuvres.
Alongside the information and advisory activities carried out by the Posidonia Surveillance Service, a total of 76 official reports were issued during the season as part of surveillance and enforcement operations involving environmental officers, marine reserve inspectors, the Balearic Government's Coastal Surveillance Service and the Civil Guard.
By island, 52 reports were issued in Mallorca, 18 in Eivissa, five in Formentera and one in Menorca. It should be noted that the number of reports could increase, as additional reports that are still being processed may yet be received.
The end of the 2026 season also marks the conclusion of the current contract for the Posidonia Surveillance Service. To ensure the continuity of this work and further expand efforts to protect seagrass meadows, the Balearic Government has developed Posidonia 2030, a project that brings together anchoring surveillance, scientific monitoring, data management, environmental education and international cooperation under a single coordinated framework.
The project has a budget of €4.98 million, funded through the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS). It will initially run for two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension, providing coverage for the upcoming surveillance seasons.
On the scientific side, the project aims to strengthen the stations belonging to the Balearic Government's Posidonia Monitoring Network, which currently has 46 monitoring stations, in order to gather more information about the condition and development of the seagrass meadows.
Plans also include the creation of a Posidonia Observatory, a platform that will integrate data on the condition of seagrass meadows, mapping information, oceanographic data, anchoring activity and other impacts. Access to this information will also be made available to managers, researchers and the general public.
The project will also transform the existing Posidonia Helpline into a Coordination Centre to strengthen cooperation with environmental officers, the Civil Guard, ports and other organisations.
In terms of raising awareness, an environmental education programme will be launched for schools and the general public, with the Aula del Mar de sa Petrolera in Palma serving as a key educational centre and the goal of reaching 6,000 participants annually. The "Posidonia en el Mar" (Posidonia at Sea) campaign is also planned, targeting the boating sector and other sea users in particular.
Posidonia 2030 forms part of European commitments to the conservation and restoration of marine habitats and reflects a commitment to prevention as the most effective way to protect a priority habitat in the Mediterranean.
On the day of the eclipse, the Posidonia Surveillance Service deployed a special operation, strengthening surveillance activities in the preceding days and extending operating hours throughout the afternoon. The interventions focused particularly on Ciutadella, Andratx, Colònia de Sant Jordi and the eastern coast of Eivissa, where higher concentrations of vessels were expected.
Despite the large number of vessels, no serious incidents were detected. Subsequent assessments of the seabed in the most heavily congested areas also found no impacts on posidonia seagrass meadows that could be attributed to that day.
The operation was coordinated with vessels from marine reserves and protected natural areas, as well as environmental officers. Vessel concentrations were monitored in real time using the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which makes it possible to track their positions.
