Balearic Islands call for EU fisheries policies adapted to island realities

Xesca Ramis highlighted the need for European policies to take into account the specific circumstances of island territories.

The Director General for Institutional Relations and Relations with Parliament, Xesca Ramis, and the Director General for Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, represented the Government of the Balearic Islands in Brussels, advocating for the European Union to consider the specific realities of island territories when designing fisheries policies and the future Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034. Their intervention took place during an event organized by the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion on the future of the Mediterranean and European policies for the next budgetary period.

Ramis stressed that for island territories the sea is both a means of connection and a factor that strongly conditions economic activity. In this regard, she pointed out that insularity particularly affects the fishing sector, as it entails higher logistical costs and additional difficulties in accessing essential services such as vessel maintenance or specialized technical equipment.

She also warned that fishermen from the islands face increasing competition from products coming from markets with lower production costs, which could threaten the viability of the artisanal fleet. For this reason, she argued that the future European budget should recognize insularity as a structural factor to be considered when designing policies and support mechanisms for the sector.

During the meeting, the Balearic co-management fisheries model was also highlighted, a system based on the direct participation of the sector in decision-making processes. This model brings together fishermen, public administrations, scientists and environmental organizations within shared management bodies to ensure the sustainable management of marine resources. Currently, more than 70% of the Balearic professional fishing fleet already operates under this system, which the regional government aims to extend to all fisheries before 2030.

The Director General for Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, emphasized the need to promote European policies adapted to the specific circumstances of island territories and the structural challenges they face. In this regard, he called for positive discrimination measures for island regions, simplification of administrative procedures and greater regulatory flexibility to adapt rules to the realities of island environments. He also stressed the importance of reviewing the Mediterranean Action Plan to ensure a real balance between the social, economic and environmental pillars, as well as directing European funds toward investments that strengthen these three dimensions of sustainability in a balanced way.

During his speech, Grau also highlighted the need to move toward governance models based on co-management, which are still insufficiently implemented across the European Union and largely limited to local or regional fisheries in the Mediterranean. He underlined the important role of advisory councils as platforms for participation and regulatory analysis, while noting that their influence in European Commission decision-making processes should be strengthened. According to Grau, co-management represents the most robust path toward ensuring sustainable fisheries management from environmental, social and economic perspectives, provided that measures are based on solid scientific criteria and clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

The Government of the Balearic Islands therefore advocates for progress toward a more flexible, participatory European fisheries policy better adapted to the realities of island territories.