The Balearic present a plan to guarantee the conservation and continuity of marine ecosystems

The Plan has the goal of combining the protection of the marine environment with the management of traditional fishing activity, guaranteeing economic, environmental and social sustainability of the sector.

The Government has presented today, November 24th, in the mark of the 38th session of the Fishing Council, the proposal of the Marine Conservation Plan, an initiative with which it reaffirms its commitment with the preservation of the marine environment and the sustainable management of the fishing resources. The reunion has been celebrated in the headquearters of the Agriculture, Fishing and Natural Environment Counselling, and has been presided by Miquel Socias. Counsillor Joan Simonet; Fishing general director, Antoni M. Grau; the Environment and Forest Management director, Anna Torres, and representatives of the fishing sector of the Balearic Islands.

The Marine Conservation Plan of the Government is set as an integral strategy destined to guaranteeing the contuinity of the marine ecosystems and reinforcing the role of the archipelago as reference territoy in matters of marine conservation. The document is structured in eight lines of work and 28 specific actions that treat matters such as the protection of marine spaces, the improvement of the fishing management, the boosting of applied scientific research, comanagement and participation of sectors linked to the sea.

During his intervention, councillor Joan Simonet has pointed out that «the Balearic Islands are already a pioneer territory in marine conservation on a Mediterranean scope, but can aspire to turn into a worldwide referent». In this sense, he has explained that the Plan includes measures oriented to recovering a sea full of life, improving the state of fishing resources and implying sectors more related to the marine environment, such as fishing and social and popular sailing, involved.

Amongst the most relevant commitments that the Plan contemplated, there's the declaration of a minimum of 10.000 hectares of marine surface of high protection in waters of autonomic competence during this legislaion, as well as the approval of an action plan for the conservation of elasmobranches before the end of 2026, the approvation of the management plans depending on the protected natural spaces inherited by previous laws and the integration of the  100 % of the Balearic fishing fleet in a comanagement plan before 2030.

The Plan has the goal of combining the protection of the marine environment with the management of traditional fishing activity, guaranteeing economic, environmental and social sustainability of the sector. In this line, the Counselling focuses on a shared management and on a direct implication of the cofraternities of fishmongers, the conservational entities and the scientific agents, so the Plan becomes a dynamic, participative instrument, adapted to reality of the Balearic Islands.

During the session, some normative and plannification initiatives related with fishing and marine management have been treated. One of the highlighted points has been the analysis of the modification of the 41/2015 Decree, of May 22nd, by which the marine reserves of the interior waters of the Balearic Islands are regulated. The possibility of modifying the Marine Reserve of the Freus of Ibiza and Formentera and of carrying out changes related to artisanal fishing, recreational fishing, and composition and functioning of the Fishing Council. These modifications answer to the need of adapting to the current normative of the new realities of the sector and to the current challenges in matters of sustainability.

The Fishing Counsil of the Balearic Islands is the consultive collegiate organ in matters of maritime fishing and has a wide representation of the sector. In it, representatives of the insular councils, of the Directorate General of Ports and the Balearics Portuary Authority, as well as the fishing cofraternities, the Balearic Fishing and Casting Federation, the Subaquatic Activities Balearic Federation, the organization of fishing manufacturers Opmallorcamar, the conservational organizations and the associationsof recreational fishmongers of the Balearic Islands have participated.

The session has finished with an open turn of interventions in which particioants have been able to express their opinions, worries and proposals. Thei interventions have contributed to improving the debate and defining future lines of wokring that reinforce sustainability of the fishing sector and the conservation of the marine environment in the Balearic Islands.