The Government promotes a sustainable local fishing workshop for culinary students

Culinary students from CIFP Juníper Serra are taking part in a workshop on sustainable fishing to strengthen the consumption of seafood products from the Balearic Islands.

The Government has launched a pilot workshop on sustainable local fishing and gastronomy, aimed at first-year students in the intermediate vocational training program in Cooking and Gastronomy, which took place today, Wednesday, March 11th, at CIFP Juníper Serra in Palma. The initiative has brought future hospitality professionals closer to the reality of the Balearic fishing sector and the value of local seafood products.

The event combined a theoretical component with a practical cooking workshop and brought together students, fishers, professionals from the gastronomy sector, and institutional representatives with the aim of promoting knowledge and consumption of locally sourced fish products.

The Director General for Agri-food Quality and Local Products, Joan Llabrés, highlighted that “bringing local products closer to future chefs is key to continuing to strengthen the primary sector in the Balearic Islands.” Llabrés stressed that “when the hospitality sector chooses fish from our islands, it not only gains in quality and gastronomic identity, but also helps guarantee the economic viability of the fishing sector.”

In this regard, the Director General emphasized that initiatives like this “help strengthen the link between fishers, distributors, and restaurateurs, an essential connection if local products are to reach professional kitchens more and more often and, consequently, consumers as well.”

During the theoretical session, several experts explained to the students the reality of the Balearic fishing fleet, the importance of sustainable fishing, the value of the collective brands in the fishing sector, and product traceability. The diversity of species in the Balearic Sea and the gastronomic potential of local, seasonal fish were also highlighted.

Representatives from both the sector and the educational field took part in the event: Maria del Mar Cañellas, head of the Planning and Participation Service of the Directorate General for Vocational Training and Educational Planning; Manel Aragonés, director of CIFP Juníper Serra; Elisa Martínez, coordinator of the Calant Xarxes Alliance; Toni Fiol, fisher and CEO of Bluefin Balear; and Marcial Caracena, commercial director of OPMallorcamar.

The workshop also included a practical session led by chef David Rivas, from the restaurant Terrae, which has been awarded a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability. During the activity, the students worked with a Balearic seafood product, white seabream, and learned techniques for handling, cleaning, filleting, and making full use of fish in cooking.

In addition, the students received the Sustainable Consumption Guide for Fish and Seafood from the Balearic Islands, a tool that provides information on local species, seasons, fishing methods, and recommendations for responsible consumption.

This pilot workshop forms part of a joint line of work by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment and the Ministry of Education and Universities to strengthen knowledge of local products in the training of future gastronomy professionals. The initiative was carried out with the coordination of the Calant Xarxes Alliance and the collaboration of CIFP Juníper Serra, OPMallorcamar, Bluefin Balear, and the restaurant Terrae, with the aim of continuing to promote the consumption of locally sourced products and support the primary sector of the Balearic Islands.