A wide range of environmental and conservationist organizations have expressed their utmost concern about the recent proposal to expand the Freus Marine Reserve of Ibiza and Formentera, considering that it entails a lowering of the level of protection of this natural area. The organizations warn that the initiative, far from strengthening marine conservation, opens the door to greater recreational fishing pressure and an increase in catches in a particularly sensitive area.
The signatory entities recall in a joint statement that the expansion of marine protected areas is a shared objective and aligned with European and national commitments, which set the protection of 30% of the marine area in 2030, with at least 10% under strict protection. However, they warn that progress in these objectives cannot be made at the cost of relaxing existing protection regulations or equating marine reserves to areas without conservation status.
Since the creation of the Balearic network of marine reserves in 1999, according to the entities, significant public investment has been allocated to develop a management model based on scientific knowledge, both in the delimitation of the areas and in the rules that regulate fishing activity within them. In this sense, they express that these reserves, they emphasize, have been key to reverse situations of overexploitation and to favor the recovery of species of fishing interest, as stated in the Fishing Law of the Balearic Islands.
The organizations are particularly concerned about the possible modification of the decree that regulates extractive activities in marine reserves, as it could eliminate closed areas such as s’Espardell and increase the effort of recreational fishing within these protected areas. This scenario, they point out, puts at risk both the recovery of marine resources and the viability of the professional fleet of small gears, a sector in decline but essential for local supply, food sovereignty and the blue economy.
They also recall that recreational fishing has grown significantly in the Balearic Islands, with about 45,000 licenses in force, which shows that the existence of marine reserves has not harmed this activity. In this context, they criticize the proposal presented by PP and Vox and recently approved in the plenary of the Consell de Eivissa, which contemplates authorizing modalities such as spearfishing within the reserves, a practice that, according to scientific evidence, has a particularly negative impact on coastal species.
The organizations denounce that this initiative lacks scientific support and breaks with the regulatory consensus that has allowed the success of the Balearic marine reserve network, extending the risk to the entire archipelago. In view of this situation, they demand an immediate moratorium on the proposed changes and the opening of a participatory process involving administrations, affected sectors and the scientific community, in order to evaluate any regulatory changes based on the best available evidence.
The manifesto is supported by organizations such as Greenpeace, Ecologists in Action, GOB Mallorca and Menorca, GEN-GOB, Marilles Foundation, Save the Med Foundation, Foundation for the Conservation of Ibiza and Formentera, Raíces Marines and other entities committed to the defense of the marine environment in the Balearic Islands.
