The Balearic Islands sets up the Recreational Fishing Co-management Commission

The Fisheries Council has approved the proposals of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment to set up the Recreational Fisheries Co-management Commission and the decree to create the recreational maritime fishing charter license.

At the 36th meeting of the Balearic Islands Fishing Council, the main consultative body for maritime fishing in the Balearic Islands, the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment presented three initiatives for fishing regulations, two on recreational fishing and one on professional purse seine fishing, as well as two studies.

Councillor Joan Simonet stated during the meeting that, as recreational sea fishing, which has a long tradition in the Balearic Islands, has undergone significant development in recent years, "it is an activity that cannot be underestimated, as it is practiced by tens of thousands of people in the archipelago".

In this sense, he pointed out that "recreational fishing was very neglected in the previous legislature and now, from the Conselleria, and especially from the Directorate General of Fisheries, we want to give it the attention it deserves, promoting sustainable management of fish stocks, respectful of the marine environment and harmonious with other activities, particularly professional fishing".

Thus, during the holding of this Fisheries Council, the order for the creation of the Co-management Commission for recreational fishing in the Balearic Islands was presented, a body through which the Directorate General will keep the recreational fishing sector informed of the initiatives and proposals of the European Commission and the General Secretariat for Fisheries that may affect them.

Another initiative on recreational matters that was discussed was the presentation of the decree creating the charter recreational sea fishing license, "with the intention of providing legal cover for a lucrative activity covered by state regulations, but not by regional regulations", explained the Director General of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau.

It should be remembered that the same regulation will be used to modify the regulations of three marine reserves in Ibiza to allow no-kill sport fishing competitions.

Regarding professional fishing, the decree on purse seine fishing in inland waters has been presented, which was already announced in 2022, and which is the adaptation of the state regulation to the conditions of the Balearic Islands, with very small boats that limit their activity on the island of Mallorca.

Finally, the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment is clear that the management of natural resources must be based on solid data. For this reason, the Fisheries Council presented, on the one hand, an analysis of the results of the catches declared in the Recreational Fishing Diary mobile application and, on the other, the project Service for the support of the Balearic Fishing Plans commissioned to the University-Business Foundation of the Islands, an entity which, together with Irfap, is intended to be the cornerstone in terms of fisheries research.

In the round of questions and requests, it was decided to incorporate and subsequently approve the creation of a commission to study the professionalism of the sector and the start of a commission to study how the lobster season has gone in the Balearic Islands.