Juan Manuel Lafuente: Our goal should be that the people of the Islands can enjoy the sea

It has been just over a year since Marga Prohens took office and began leading the new Balearic government.

In its first 100 days, the new government has already fulfilled some of its electoral promises, such as the creation of the Ministry of the Sea and Water Cycle. This ministry, much demanded by the entire Balearic nautical sector, was discussed in the program Pasión por el Mar by its minister, Juan Manuel Lafuente.

"It has been an intense year of work, making contacts and analyzing the situation we are in," explains the minister, who has already met with a large part of the stakeholders to understand the current state of each sector.

This is the first time the Balearic Government has a Ministry of the Sea, even though the Balearic nautical sector is an international benchmark, encompassing 879 companies that bill 1.106 billion euros and generate more than five thousand jobs. "Many feel that they have been portrayed as the villains for years, that they are a sector to be pursued. What we have realized is that the vast majority are willing to collaborate to solve the problems," he comments.

Therefore, after these initial meetings, the minister acknowledges that we remain an international benchmark. "In the Balearic Islands, we have great nautical professionals, excellent companies, and I believe what we need to do is to consolidate these companies, provide them with the proper space to work, offer services, and be pioneers in nautical services and navigation," the minister assures, adding that "we are in a privileged geographical location that gives us a competitive advantage over other places, and we must not miss these opportunities."

But the new Ministry is not only concerned with the nautical industry. Water resources, ports, coasts, maritime transport... All these sections fall directly under the Ministry of the Sea and Water Cycle. "There are many problems we need to solve, but the goal and roadmap of the ministry should continue to be that the people of the Islands can enjoy the sea." After all, the Balearic Islands are an autonomous community surrounded by the sea, and "the sea is part of our community, our history, and our reality," he assures.

However, to continue enjoying the Balearic Sea, one of the main tasks of the entire society is to take care of it. "I have always found people who care about looking after it and maintaining it and who get angry when they see it being misused," explains the minister, adding that "people are not aware that the vast majority of those who sail in the Balearic Islands are sea lovers, people who, if they see a piece of plastic that is not theirs, pick it up, who want us to continue enjoying this marvel that is the coast we have in the Balearic Islands."