The Government and the sector call for changes to EU regulations to ensure Mediterranean fishing

Minister Joan Simonet, accompanied by Director General Antoni M. Grau and the President of the Balearic Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds (FBCP), Domingo Bonnín, met with MEP Rosa Estaràs to express the urgent need to amend current EU regulations in order to ensure the viability of the fishing sector.

The Balearic Government and the FBCP are joining forces to push for changes to the European fishing regulation governing the western Mediterranean. Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, together with Director General Antoni M. Grau and FBCP President Domingo Bonnín, held a meeting with MEP Rosa Estaràs to convey the importance of regulatory reform to support the survival of the sector.

During the meeting, Simonet emphasized, “The Government has repeatedly insisted on the need to change EU regulations to ensure the sector's survival. This is a shared position with other Mediterranean regions and also with Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, and it has already been communicated to the EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis.”

Simonet further explained that “the allocation of fishing days changes each year, which makes it extremely difficult for fishers to invest, as they don’t know how many days they’ll be allowed to fish the following year. These conditions also make it hard to attract young people to the profession.”

Director General Grau added that, in the case of the Balearic Islands, “the current EU regulation fails to recognize the mixed nature of Mediterranean fisheries and lacks mechanisms that ensure legal security and economic stability for fishers.”

During the meeting, the group also proposed specific measures for inclusion in future plans, such as allowing interannual flexibility, enabling up to 10% of fishing days to be carried over between two consecutive years, and adopting multiannual measures to provide greater stability for operators and fishing organizations.