From now on, recreational fishermen have a big say in the future

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment has presented the creation of the Commission for the Co-management of Recreational Fishing in the Balearic Islands. During the press conference, the councilor Joan Simonet, accompanied by the director general of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, explained that this public participation body,was born out of the need to improve the governance of this activity.

The main objective is to promote the participation of this sector in the management of recreational fishing in the Balearic Islands, in order to ensure its sustainability and the conservation of marine resources.

Simonet pointed out that "this is a measure aimed at alleviating the situation of neglect and abandonment in which the recreational fishing sector has found itself for the last eight years". In this sense, the councilor stressed that "one of the main demands of this group is that they do not consider themselves to be sufficiently informed or involved in the decision-making mechanisms in matters that affect them. That is why we believe it is essential to create this Commission".

It should be remembered that recreational sea fishing is one of the most popular leisure activities on the Islands. In addition to the economic movement it generates, it is a fundamental link between the population and the sea, fishing products and Balearic tradition and gastronomy. In this way, Simonet pointed out, "we believe that this group deserves preferential attention. This regulation is the right instrument to guarantee coordination between the Administration and the recreational fishing sector".

For his part, Antoni M. Grau expressed the need to involve this group in the conservation and study of the marine environment. "The majority of recreational anglers are concerned about the conservation and health of marine resources, which is why they can contribute both to the preservation of ecosystems and to the collection of data and the monitoring of species," said the Director General of Fisheries. Along these lines, Grau assured that the improvement of fisheries management depends, to a large extent, on good data collection: "Data are essential to be able to make decisions to improve fisheries management, and obtaining them is only possible by involving the sector effectively," he said.

The presentation of the Recreational Fishing Co-management Commission was also attended by the heads of the two main recreational fishing organisations in the Balearic Islands: the president of the Mallorcan Association of Responsible Recreational Fishing, Bernadí Alba, and Vicenç Monerris, president of the Balearic Fishermen's Association. It should also be noted that during the drafting process, the bodies representing the sectors affected, the Balearic Islands Fishing Council and the General Secretariat for Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have been consulted.