Balearic Government proposes new measures to protect sharks and rays in the Balearic Islands

The first working meeting held since the Plan’s approval promotes further scientific initiatives, dedicated working groups and conservation measures involving the fishing sector.

The Government of the Balearic Islands is continuing to implement the Marine Conservation Plan through further concrete initiatives aimed at strengthening the protection of marine biodiversity. Within this framework, the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment held the first working meeting of the Expert Group for the Shark and Ray Conservation Action Plan today, Wednesday, 29th of July. This advisory body, established under the strategic document, is responsible for coordinating the implementation of measures designed to protect elasmobranchs in the Balearic Islands.

The Action Plan, approved by the Government in February 2026, is one of the strategic pillars of the Marine Conservation Plan. It establishes a pioneering roadmap at both national and Mediterranean level to improve the conservation status of sharks and rays in the waters surrounding the Balearic Islands. Six months after its approval, the Plan continues to move forward with concrete initiatives that turn scientific knowledge into practical management tools and effective conservation measures.

The meeting was chaired by the Director-General for the Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres, and the Director-General for Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau. It brought together representatives from public authorities, research centres, universities, conservation organisations and, notably, the professional and recreational fishing sectors.

During the meeting, the first results of the initiatives included in the Plan were presented, and new areas of collaboration were launched. Among the main developments was IRFAP’s presentation of the preliminary findings of its study on the survival of smooth-hound sharks accidentally caught by the fishing fleet, together with the work carried out under the GENFISHBANK project.

The Balearic Oceanographic Centre (CSIC-IEO) presented an update on the exploitation status of commercial ray populations, while the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB) reported on progress in the electronic monitoring of coastal elasmobranchs. The results highlight the essential role played by the network of marine reserves in conserving these species.

Regarding the fishing sector, the Balearic Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds presented a technical proposal to facilitate the release of large elasmobranchs accidentally caught by the trawling fleet. OPMallorcaMar also proposed an initiative under which the Mallorcan fleet would release all rays weighing more than one kilogram. Dedicated working groups will be established for both initiatives to accelerate their development and implementation.

The Director-General for the Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres, said: “The Marine Conservation Plan continues to progress through real, coordinated initiatives involving the scientific community, the fishing sector and conservation organisations. Protecting sharks and rays is essential to safeguarding the health of the Balearic Islands’ marine ecosystems.”

The Director-General for Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, added: “The active participation of the fishing sector is essential to ensuring that the measures are practical, feasible and effective. This Plan can only be implemented through shared responsibility and cooperation among all the stakeholders involved.”

The meeting builds on the work begun under the ‘Small Sharks – Operation Stellaris’ project, which concluded this July with the release of nearly four hundred nursehounds into the wild. The experience gained during the project and the scientific knowledge it generated have been incorporated into the Shark and Ray Conservation Action Plan, strengthening one of the strategic pillars of the Marine Conservation Plan promoted by the Government.

Through this new working meeting, the Government is continuing to implement a marine management model based on scientific evidence, institutional cooperation and the involvement of sectors connected to the sea. The Marine Conservation Plan is therefore being translated into tangible initiatives that support progress in protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of fisheries resources.