Balearic Islands prepare for the start of a new raor fishing season

The average weight of the specimens analysed in 2025 reached 70 grams, almost three times the 26 grams recorded in 1999, the year before the closed season was introduced.

Joan Simonet: “The data show that fisheries management based on scientific knowledge and respect for closed seasons makes it possible to conserve resources and safeguard the future of fisheries as traditional as the raor fishery.”

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment has announced that the raor (Xyrichtys novacula) fishing season will begin this Tuesday, 1 September, in the Balearic Islands, and will run until 31 March 2027. This year, the opening date will be the same across the entire coastline of the Islands, including marine reserves, with the exception of the Highly Protected Zone of the Malgrats Islands, where fishing will not be permitted until 1 October.

The Regional Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, highlighted that the evolution of the raor population “is a very clear example of the results achieved through appropriate fisheries management, sustained over time and based on scientific criteria”. In this regard, Simonet said that “today we have larger specimens and a recovered population, and the aim is to maintain this situation and ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy a fishery that is deeply rooted in the Balearic Islands”.

The Regional Ministry reminds fishers that the maximum permitted catch is 50 raors per person per day. Simonet also appealed to the responsibility of fishers: “The vast majority of recreational fishers respect the rules and are the first to have an interest in conserving this resource. Complying with catch limits and closed seasons is essential to ensure that this fishery remains in good condition.”

Coinciding with the start of the season, the Balearic Government’s fisheries inspection service will step up activity in the main raor fishing areas with the aim of preventing illegal fishing and detecting possible infringements. Breaching a closed season is classified as a serious offence under fisheries regulations and can result in a minimum fine of 151 euros per specimen, an amount that can increase considerably depending on the circumstances of the infringement.

The raor closed season, which has been in force for decades, is intended to prevent the capture of this species during its breeding period. Studies carried out by the Marine Research and Aquaculture Laboratory (LIMIA) and the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB) have confirmed that this measure has helped the population recover and has increased both the abundance and the average size of specimens.

The Directorate-General for Fisheries has been monitoring raor populations in the Balearic Islands, especially in Mallorca, since 1994, analysing parameters including average specimen size and fishing yield. In 1999, a situation of overfishing was confirmed, reflected in a progressive reduction in the average size of raor. This led the Balearic Government and the Ministry of Agriculture to introduce a closed season from the year 2000 onwards, which currently runs from 1 April to 31 August.

The results obtained since then show a very positive trend. Since the introduction of the closed season, the size of raors has gradually recovered across all the Balearic Islands and, since 2013, the average size has always remained above that recorded in 1994.

In the latest season analysed, the average size of the populations studied directly by the Balearic Government in Mallorca was 168 millimetres, 35% higher than the 124 millimetres recorded in 1999. The difference is even more significant when expressed in terms of weight: the average individual weight of the raors analysed in 2025 was 70 grams, compared with 26 grams in 1999, almost three times as much.

The Directorate-General for Fisheries expects results similar to those of 2025. The current average size is already close to the maximum that can be reached by a population subject to fishing activity, bearing in mind that values close to 180 millimetres are only recorded in areas where fishing is prohibited.

In marine reserves, catches must be recorded and reported to the Balearic Government’s Marine Resources Service, preferably through the “Diari de Pesca” mobile app or, in the case of state marine reserves, through the Ministry’s “PescaREC” app. Since 2019, around 6,600 catch declarations have been collected. These data show that, in terms of number of individuals, raor is the species most frequently caught by recreational boat fishers in the Balearic Islands, while in terms of weight it represents 15.7% of the annual catch.