Balearic Islands Implement a New Management Plan for Sustainable Lobster Fishing

The Official Bulletin of the Balearic Islands (BOIB) published yesterday, Tuesday, October 29, the Order from the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, which establishes a management plan for the fishing of lobster (Palinurus spp.) in the internal waters of the Balearic Islands.

This Order sets new technical measures aimed at improving the sustainability of lobster fishing in the external waters adjacent to the archipelago. This requires updating the regional regulations to align with those of the external waters and to maintain sustainable management of this crustacean fishery in the coming years.

The fishing of the common or red lobster is one of the main activities of the small-scale fleet in the Balearic Islands, which is why "maintaining this resource is of vital importance for the survival of professional fishing in the archipelago," stated Minister Simonet. It is noteworthy that this Order applies to Spanish boats fishing in the internal waters of the Balearic Islands.

This new management plan, effective as of today, Wednesday, October 30, but operative in the 2025 season, maintains many of the already existing regulations, such as the seven-month fishing ban, the absence of mandatory weekly rest, the minimum size, and the prohibition of catching ovate females. However, it introduces new features aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of the activity, such as reducing the soak time of nets in the sea to 24 hours, the materials of the nets, or the maximum length of the gillnets. It also includes measures regarding the accidental capture of seabirds, turtles, sharks, and marine snails, and the possibility of combining lobster net fishing with the use of coastal line gear.