FANMED commits to the conservation of the sea at its first environmental event

The Aula de la Mar hosted the first environmental communication event of the Federation of Nautical Associations and Activities for Environmental Issues (FANMED), in which the coordinator of ALNITAK, Ricardo Sagarminaga, presented the results of its latest campaign in the Western Mediterranean.

This event was aimed at the different institutions and organisations in the Balearic Islands related to the marine environment, and was attended by Antonio María Grau, Director General of Fisheries; the Head of Operations of the Guardia Civil, the Head of the Nature Protection Unit of the Guardia Civil, Francisco Córdoba, Head of the Provincial Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil; Domingo Bonnín, President of the Fishermen's Guild; José Ramón Crespí, Head of Maritime Rescue of Palma; Josep Escalas, Maritime Captain of Palma; Francisco Fabián Criado, Director of the Maritime Rescue of Palma; Francisco Fabián Criado, Director of the Maritime Rescue of Palma; Francisco Fabián Criado, Head of the Maritime Rescue of Palma; Francisco Fabián Criado, Director of the Maritime Rescue of Palma, and Josep Escalas, Maritime Captain of Palma; Francisco Fabián Criado, director of SOCIB; Gotzon Basterretxea, director of IMEDEA; Maria Francesca López, director of the NMT Park of Cabrera; Antoni Mulet, director of the Nautical Fishing School; Debora Morrison, director of the Palma Aquarium Foundation; Bernadí Alba, president of AMPRR and APERS; Claudia Suárez, vice-president of ADN Mediterráneo; as well as the biologist and oceanographer Xavier Pastor and representatives of Marilles, Observadores del Mar, SEO BirdLife, Almas Marinas and the Consellería del Mar y Ciclo del Agua, due to a last minute problem, excused the participation of the participants. 

The content of the ALNITAK coordinator's presentation made clear the problems that exist with ghost fishing, drift fishing, as well as the monitoring of large cetaceans and the work they do with turtles. There is no doubt that his experience of several decades of dedication to this field provided very important and relevant data on what is happening offshore, which is often unknown even to people and entities linked to this environment. 

The president of FANMED, Gabriel Dols, once again made clear his commitment and concern for the health of our Mediterranean Sea. "Beyond politics and ideology, the commitment of all these institutions and the role of science is vital. Ports, sailors and fishermen are of the utmost importance in the rescue of marine fauna and in the reporting and removal of abandoned prohibited fishing gear-APPA" assures Dols. Convinced of this, both FANMED and ALNITAK see these actors as part of the solution and not the problem.