The Government approves the regulation of recreational charter fishing in the Balearic Islands

Also, the decrees of the marine reserves of the Northeast Coast of Ibiza-Tagomago, Ses Bledes, and Es Vedrà-Vedranell are modified.

The Council of Government approved today, October 18, the Decree establishing the general principles of maritime recreational charter fishing in the internal waters of the Balearic Islands and the modification of Decree 45/2018, of December 14, which establishes the Marine Reserve of the Northeast Coast of Ibiza-Tagomago, and Decree 25/2023, of May 2, which establishes the marine reserves of Ses Bledes and Es Vedrà-Vedranell.

In this regard, it is worth remembering that recreational maritime fishing has a long tradition in the Balearic Islands, where it is one of the most popular leisure activities. It is a practice that not only provides direct contact with nature for the population but also generates significant economic and commercial movement that cannot be underestimated. In this framework, recreational charter fishing is integrated, a commercial activity practiced with recreational vessels and consists of taking clients fishing, but without commercializing the catches.

Recreational charter fishing is a modality to which Royal Decree 347/2011, of March 11, which regulates recreational maritime fishing in external waters, dedicates an entire chapter, but which had no regulation in the internal waters of the Balearic Islands, so the vessels dedicated to it were unregulated. Therefore, it was advisable to establish an explicit regional legal framework to protect their activity.

Among other issues, a specific license with a validity of three years is created, the characteristics of the vessels that can practice this type of fishing are determined, an accreditation must be displayed for identification, and specific fishing quotas are established, considering that this type of fishing is essentially a no-kill practice. As control measures, vessels must carry the green box and electronically declare catches.

On the other hand, article 8.5 of Law 6/2013, of November 7, on maritime fishing, shellfishing, and aquaculture in the Balearic Islands, indicates that in marine reserves fishing competitions are permissible as long as they are no-kill, a provision not explicitly covered by the regulatory norms of the three marine reserves of Ibiza (of the Northeast Coast of Ibiza-Tagomago and Ses Bledes and Es Vedrà-Vedranell), which is advisable to amend because there is interest in linking no-kill competitions to the scientific monitoring tasks of these reserves as long as they are linked by an authorized plan.

Furthermore, with the aim of eliminating unnecessary obstacles in the practice of professional fishing with minor arts in the three marine reserves of the island of Ibiza, two specific modifications of decrees 45/2018 and 25/2023 have been made, so that inclusion in the census of authorized professional vessels is the only requirement for them to fish in the reserves.