Close to a hundred people attend ADPRIB’s launch event

“We want our kids and grandchildren to be able to still enjoy this hobby linked to recreational maritime tradition in the Balearic Islands”, ensured its president, Jaime Garau, during the presentation of the entity yesterday at the Real Club Náutico de Palma.

The Association in Defense of Recreational Fishing in the Balearic Islands (ADPRIB) was officially presented yesterday, Thursday 29th of January, at the Real Club Náutico de Palma, matching with the journey previous to the Spearfishing Master Week. The event had the assistance of 90 people, 40 of which became a member of the new entity, which is born with the goal of “defending recreational fishing in all its modalities” and of demanding public administrations a sustainable management of the marine resources “so that our kids and grandchildren can keep enjoying this hobby linked to the maritime tradition of the Balearics”, according to the explanation of its president, Jaime Garau, during the launch event.

Among ADPRIB’s main demands is the need for restrictions, quotas, and minimum catch sizes to be applied equitably to both recreational and professional fishing, as an essential tool for the proper management of fishery resources.

The association also defends the role of marine reserves, advocating the creation of fully protected reserves in which no type of fishing is allowed, covering 10% of inland waters, in line with European regulations. In this regard, ADPRIB notes that this percentage currently stands at around 0.03%. Alongside these fully protected areas, it calls for marine reserves with appropriate management plans and questions the model of marine reserves of fisheries interest, which it considers a “privatization of the sea.”

During the presentation, the social and economic importance of recreational fishing in the Balearic Islands was highlighted. There are around 53,000 recreational fishing licenses on the islands, with estimated catches of approximately 760 tonnes of fish per year, generating a business volume close to €95 million. The relevance of the nautical sector was also emphasized, with marinas generating around €850 million, equivalent to 5% of the Balearic GDP, and in which approximately one third of the vessels hold a fishing license.

ADPRIB thus begins its activity with the aim of becoming an interlocutor with public administrations and of taking part in the debate on the management of marine resources, advocating for regulated recreational fishing that is compatible with environmental conservation.