The closed season of the octopus begins

The Balearic Government’s Fishing General Direction has stated a temporary closure for octopus’s fishing and shellfish in Mallorca’s waters. The measure will take place from June 1st to July 31st, 2025.

Last Thursday, May 22nd, the Marine Resources Service aired a report in which a temporary closure for octopus’s fishing and shellfish from June 1st to July 31st of this year was suggested.

The decision is based on technical reports that show an increase of the octopus’s captures these last years due to the increase of professional shellfish licenses. According to the normative, the closure will be applied to any modality of fishing, whether it’s professional or recreational. This way, it is expected an annual period of 60 closure days in areas inferior to 50 meters of depth to avoid the capture of this species during their reproduction period.

This resolution was published at the Balearic Islands’s Official Bulletin yesterday, May 27th, and it answers to what is expected in the archipelago’s shellfish regulation 31/2021 Decree. In addition, the normative lets fixating closure periods and defining affected zones according to the state and evolution of the fishing resources.

Those who are interested in impugning the resolution have a month from today, May 28th, to present an appeal before the Agriculture, Fishing and Natural Environment Council.

This measure has the aim to preserve the Balearic marine environment and to encourage responsible fishing activity.