La entrada Ibiza recreational fishermen’s guide: what you will have to declare and who can do it for you, step-by-step se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The publication of these instructions comes in a climate of doubts in the sector and with discomfort among recreational fishermen of Ibiza and Formentera by the implementation of the new system.
Here is a practical guide with the essentials: who should register, what data will need to be entered and how to declare retained or returned catches at sea, plus an important detail for those who don’t use a smartphone: someone else can do it on your behalf.
What is already known … and what is still missing
The official documents make it quite clear what data will be requested and how the declaration will be made, including the possibility of having a representative manage the process for the fisherman.
But the system still has two key unknowns:
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the application is not yet available in the download stores, although the guide has already been published;
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and the actual obligation depends on the publication of the corresponding order, so registration will not be enforceable until this framework is officially activated.
Who is the system aimed at?
According to the official guide, it is designed for people who practice recreational sea fishing in any of its modalities: from land, from boats, from floating devices or underwater.
The system also allows requesting specific authorizations linked to species subject to differentiated protection measures.
First step: create a user with your license
The Ministry explains that registration will be done from a mobile device when the application is available on Google Play and App Store.
To create the user, the fisherman must have at hand:
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your identity document (DNI/NIE/passport, etc.),
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and the maritime fishing license in force, with its number and dates.
The document adds a technical nuance: a user can only have one session open at a time, i.e. it does not allow simultaneous sessions.
The app does not always have to be used by the fisherman: a family member can do it for you.
One of the most relevant points of the guide is that access can be made by another person with the angler’s data.
The document indicates that the registration with a license «is also valid when another person (relative, friend, …) accesses directly with the data provided by the fisherman, as if he were himself».
In addition, the guide dedicates a specific section to representatives and represented parties, so that a third party can add the fisherman and make statements «on behalf of the represented fisherman».
This detail can be key for older fishermen or those who do not use smartphones, as it opens the door to delegate the process.
Set preferences: ports, gears, species and vessels
Upon entering the system, the Ministry recommends setting up preferences to speed up future declarations:
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usual ports,
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most commonly used gear,
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common species,
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vessels from which you fish (even if you are not the owner),
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and the possibility of uploading documentation (license, qualifications, etc.), although it is not mandatory.
What will you have to declare when you go fishing?
The guide describes a process for the declaration of catches with mandatory fields (marked with an asterisk).
Step 1: Basic output data
To start a declaration, select:
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modality/activity,
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license,
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port closest to the activity,
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capture zone (selected on a map),
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and the art used.
Step 2: Start and end time
It is also registered:
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start date/time,
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end date/time,
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and, if applicable, whether the activity is part of an authorized competition or marking day, indicating the authorization number.
Retained catches and by-catches (returned to the sea)
The system forces a distinction to be made between what the fisherman keeps and what he returns to the water.
In the «Add catches» section, the document indicates that RETAINED and RELEASED catches are added separately.
Data requested includes:
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number of copies,
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total weight in grams,
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and in some cases size.
If you fish in a Marine Reserve
If the activity takes place in a marine reserve, the guide indicates that additional data should be added, such as:
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size in centimeters (in principle, mandatory if reservation is selected),
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and number of rods and hooks (also in principle only in reserve).
If you fish from a boat: extra data
When the modality is from a boat, there are additional fields:
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number of licenses on board (number of fishermen),
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selection of the vessel from which the catch is made,
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and identification data (e.g., NIB in Spanish flag, or bulwark mark if not Spanish flag).
What happens if you catch several species?
The guide explains that the process is repeated for each species captured, and that the application leads to a screen to add a new species or finalize the declaration.
You can consult all the details on the use of the app provided by the Ministry here.
La entrada Ibiza recreational fishermen’s guide: what you will have to declare and who can do it for you, step-by-step se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Formentera fishermen are confident in negotiating with Brussels, but warn: if the days of activity are cut «it would be a disaster». se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The main patron of the Brotherhood of Formentera, Iván Pérez, explained to La Voz de Ibiza that, for now, the sector prefers not to rush: «We must wait for the moment. The proposal of 10 days are the days of departure. Then you have to negotiate.
Expectation to maintain a level of activity similar to this year’s level
The difference between the «days out» set by Brussels and the actual days that the fleet finally works arises from a system of compensations and technical measures that allows the initial figure to be extended. The European Union usually sets a very low limit -this year, 10 days out as a starting point-, but the regulation foresees that, if the sector applies more selective gear, respects closed areas or introduces environmental improvements, it can recover days to get closer to its usual activity.
A clear example was the last campaign. Perez detailed that in 2025 the fleet started from an initial framework of 105 days, but that, once the flexibility mechanisms were added, the vessels were finally able to work with a total of between 125 and 130 days. «It is true that we start from 10 days, but adding technical measures, stoppages and closed areas, I guess that will give us the same days as this year,» he said.
The skipper stressed that the figure announced by Brussels does not yet reflect the actual activity, but a base that is subsequently adjusted at the Council of Fisheries Ministers.
Clear limit: no less days
Although the confraternity avoids alarming, the underlying message is firm: «If they give us fewer days it will be a disaster. It would be to give up and drop everything.»
Perez recalled that fishing in Formentera, highly regulated and with a strong local value, cannot sustain its economic chain with fewer working days, and that a cut below the levels of 2025 would directly impact on boats, fish markets and marketing.
Unlike the Parliament, which has raised the political tone against European regulatory pressure, Formentera fishermen prefer to wait for negotiations, although they share the institutional concern about the future of fishing effort. The sector is confident that the final result will be close to what was worked on this year, but assumes that any additional setback would put the activity at real risk.
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La entrada Formentera fishermen are confident in negotiating with Brussels, but warn: if the days of activity are cut «it would be a disaster». se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Balearic trawl fishing, at the limit due to the latest cutback plan from Brussels se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>An approach that comes after years of adjustments
The FBCP regretted that the proposal is being made public after DG MARE director general Charlina Vitcheva acknowledged the effort made by the sector in the last six years, especially in reducing its fishing effort and in the positive results observed in the resources. «It looks like one more stab at a sector that makes trade-offs to survive,» the federation pointed out.
It is worth remembering that exactly one year ago, the European Commission proposed a 79% reduction in trawling days in the Mediterranean, leaving the fleet with 27 days for the whole of 2025. That approach generated criticism in Spain, Italy and France and opened an intense debate on the economic and social impact of trawling. The current proposal – communicated this week to the fishermen’s associations – goes even further along those lines, reducing the planned activity to less than ten days per year.
Trawling sustains 70 % of catches in the Balearic Islands
The barques de bou provide about 70% of the catches in the archipelago, so the cut would have direct consequences on the availability of fresh fish and the operation of the fish markets. From the federation warned that without this modality neither the marketing chain nor the fishermen’s associations, which depend on a minimum volume of activity to function, are maintained.
The president of the FBCP, Domingo Bonnin, said that the sector is facing a proposal that «would almost make the viability of fishing activity impossible», given the magnitude of the proposed reduction. The cut, according to the federation, would affect transversely to sailors, shipowners, marketers and auxiliary services, leaving many of them without sufficient workload to sustain their structures.
The sector claims that it has met the requirements since 2019.
The federation recalled that, since the implementation of the multiannual plan for the western Mediterranean, the fleet has reduced by 50% the days of work and has accepted closures of fishing areas, a process they describe as «continuous and costly adaptation». «All this seems insufficient to the Commission,» they lamented, arguing that analyses in recent years indicate that fish and crustacean stocks are being exploited at sustainable rates.
The sector requests the recovery of an activity scenario of around 180 days a year, a figure they consider compatible with conservation. They also demand the withdrawal of the catch limitation for red shrimp, understanding that it adds an additional burden to an already very restricted fleet.
La entrada Balearic trawl fishing, at the limit due to the latest cutback plan from Brussels se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada The Govern calls on Europe for a «profound change» in fisheries policies for not adapting to the Mediterranean se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The request was made by the Director General of Institutional Relations, Xesca Ramis, during the Euroregional meeting Cooperate to transform, held in Barcelona as part of the Mediterranean Day. There she argued that Brussels should recognize that the Mediterranean «is a coastal fishing area with its own identity» and that, therefore, it requires differentiated rules, specific financing and a more territorialized management.
More fishing days and a revision of the Demersal Plan
Ramis recalled that the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion has created for the first time a working group on Fisheries and has approved a joint declaration addressed to the European Commission. Among the demands are:
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the revision of the Multiannual Demersal Fisheries Plan (MAP),
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more fishing days for Mediterranean fleets,
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decisions based on updated data specific to the territory,
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and a revision of the landing obligation, which in the Mediterranean «has not been effective and has increased bureaucracy».
The director general insisted that the current community framework «does not sufficiently incorporate the particularities of the Mediterranean sector» and called for real financial support to modernize the fleet and advance in decarbonization.
Grau calls for regionalized management and recognizes improvements in the Balearic Islands
The general director of Fisheries, Antoni Maria Grau, participated in a round table with the general secretary of State Fisheries, Isabel Artime, and representatives from other regions. Grau admitted that the Demersal Plan has contributed to the recovery of resources, but stressed that «now is the time to rethink management to ensure a sustainable and viable future for our fisheries».
As an example, he pointed out that in the Balearic Islands the reduction of fishing effort has favored a remarkable recovery of catches and defended the need for regionalized plans, such as the one demanded by the Government for the GSA5 -the sub-area that includes the Balearic Islands- with limitations adapted to the particularities of the territory.
Grau also highlighted the weight of the Balearic Islands in marine conservation, with more than 40% of the sea protected, 67,000 hectares of marine reserves and areas of high protection and co-management. In addition, he insisted that the direct participation of the sector is «essential» to move towards a balanced management and recalled the socioeconomic impact that the MAP has had on the professional fleet and the commercial system.
Recognizing insularity and improving the market
The Govern demanded that the EU recognize the insularity factor and move towards a regionalized segmentation of fishing grounds, with decisions adjusted to the economic and maritime reality of each archipelago. It also defended the modernization of the market system, reinforcing transparency and fair competition.
A debate that coexists with tensions in recreational fisheries
Although the day in Barcelona focused on professional fishing, this debate comes at a time when the Pitiusas also live a parallel discussion on the management of recreational fishing effort. The imminent implementation of the state app PescaREC, which will oblige to declare the outputs and catches in external waters from January, has provoked criticism among recreationalists in Ibiza and a more nuanced approach in Formentera, where they support the control but question that it is imposed only via app.
In turn, the debate on a more adapted management for the Mediterranean comes at a time when the Balearic Islands are also promoting new spaces for participation, such as the Consell de Pesca Insular, conceived to strengthen the dialogue between the sector, the administration and scientists.
Both debates -professional and recreational- coincide in one basic point: the demand for management tools adapted to the specificity of the Balearic Islands and the reality of the Mediterranean, where small fleets, highly sensitive species and a marine environment under heavy pressure coexist.
La entrada The Govern calls on Europe for a «profound change» in fisheries policies for not adapting to the Mediterranean se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada «It’s too exaggerated»: fishermen from Ibiza and Formentera charge against the new mandatory app for declaring catches se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>What exactly does the measure oblige
The obligation will affect recreational fishing in external waters (state competence) and, depending on what each autonomous community decides, it could also be extended to inland waters. When amateurs catch
The change comes in a particularly sensitive territory such as the Balearic Islands, with 52,512 recreational fishing licenses in force, 11,191 of them linked to boats, and highly coveted species such as raor, llampuga, squid, octopus, déntol or verderol in the spotlight of management.
The deployment of PescaREC coincides with the IEO-CSIC’s RECRIEO project, which is conducting 120 annual surveys in the Balearic Islands to measure actual recreational fishing activity.
More «control» than science
The organized recreational fishermen of Ibiza strongly reject this measure Diego Alcalde, spokesman for the platform Pereyna de Pesca Recreativa y Náutica de las Pitiüses, considers that the obligation to use an app every time you go fishing is «too exaggerated«.
«Imagine a person who has his job and the little free time he has goes fishing and has to declare catches in an app… You practically have to be a NASA engineer to go fishing,» he protests.
Alcalde distinguishes between the control assumed by professional fishing, which lives from this activity, and the reality of recreational fishing, which goes out «for self-consumption» and for leisure. He defends that angling or spearfishing practiced in the Pitiusas is «kilometer zero» and very selective, compared to gear such as trawling or longlines, which can generate much more mortality of protected species.
Although he says he is in favor of having scientific data on recreational fishing, he questions whether the app goes in that direction: «If you tell me it’s for scientific purposes, I’ll buy it. But then we will have to invest in scientists and biologists going out to sea with recreational fishermen in different seasons of the year, to see what is caught, what currents are affected, what new species appear… These are serious studies. The other thing is more of a control measure».
«What the administration has to do is invest in being closer to the taxpaying citizen. Go out fishing with us, see the real impact. Do not just implement an app and say that it is mandated by Brussels,» concludes Alcalde.
In Formentera they support the control, but not the form
In Formentera, the position of recreational fishermen is less frontal. The skipper of the island’s recreational fishermen, Paco Mayans, recalls that they have been declaring catches in marine reserves for some time and that, in this sense, the novelty is to extend the obligation to the rest of the areas.
«As of today, we are already doing it within the reserves. If we do it outside, it won’t be a problem, as long as it can be done easily and conveniently,» he explains.
Mayans does not dispute the substance -the need to know what is being fished to better manage the species-, but the way in which it is being approached. On the one hand, because it is being done through an app. «Believe it or not, not everyone uses smartphones or tablets. People of a certain age are going to have very important, if not impossible, problems,» he warns.
That’s why he asks that the use of the app be an option and not an imposition: «There should be a system via a paper form. It is filled out and delivered to a specific place. The mobile should be an alternative, not the only way.»
On the other hand, remember that in the Balearic Islands there is already an app to declare catches in the reserves (Diario de Pesca Recreativa). The doubt is whether PescaREC will coexist with that system or integrate it. «It would be a bit of a hassle to have to use two different apps, one inside and one outside the reserve. If I’m fishing in a reserve, move 500 meters and go outside… do I have to make two different declarations? That seems absurd to us,» he says.
Mayans explains that they have spoken unofficially with the Directorate General of Fisheries and that not even the administration itself is clear yet what species, areas and circumstances will be obliged to declare. «In principle we are not opposed to the declaration, but we are opposed to the way it is being done, without clarifying how it is done and where. Between now and January 10 there must be changes and details that are not clear must be known,» he points out.
Professionals applaud the control
From the Cofradía de Pescadores de Formentera (Fishermen’s Guild of Formentera), the main skipper Iván Pérez sees the arrival of PescaREC as good news. And almost as something that comes late. He recalls that professionals have been reporting their catches and fishing effort for years, and that this information is the basis for many management decisions.
«That serves to control the state of the sea: if one year you catch a lot and the next year you catch less and less, something is going on,» he explains.
For him, the app responds to an ultimatum from Brussels and is preferable to more drastic measures: «Either they do it through an app or what Brussels imposes will be worse. It has already happened in professional fishing. They could end up demanding satellite positioning for everyone, limiting licenses or banning certain species without knowing what recreational fishermen catch».
The skipper from Formentera believes that part of the problem is that recreational fishing has not generated historical catches that allow him to defend his interests. However, Pérez admits that older people or those without internet access may have more difficulties and need paper options.
Perez points out a current imbalance between professional and recreational fishing: «We will be about 200 or 300 professional boats in the Balearics. In recreational fishing there are about 11,000 boats and about 50,000 licenses. Even if each one catches a little, when you add up those licenses, it increases a lot,» he argues.
Against this view, Diego Alcalde replies from the recreational side that the comparison between the number of licenses and the real weight of leisure fishing is misleading: «You can not make a mathematical calculation because you see that there are 50,000 licenses in the Balearic Islands and you think that these 50,000 people go out at once every day. Between the summer, when many areas are saturated, the winter storms and the closed areas where only professionals can enter, the real effort of recreational fishing is much lower,» he remarks.
In this line, he exemplifies: «This year I have gone out about 20 times throughout the year».
And he puts the focus back on what, in his opinion, is lacking: well-funded scientific field campaigns, with biologists on board, to measure the real impact of rods and spearguns on key species such as raor, llampuga, squid, octopus, déntol or verderol in the waters of Ibiza and Formentera.
La entrada «It’s too exaggerated»: fishermen from Ibiza and Formentera charge against the new mandatory app for declaring catches se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada From Ibiza to Galicia: fishermen’s associations unite against mandatory app to declare catches se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>According to Alcalde, this group of entities is already working on appeals and formal actions against the measure, considering that the regulation comes too quickly and with aspects yet to be defined. «We are already preparing appeals and, if necessary, we will go further,» he says, referring to the steps they are considering to stop the regulation. «We’ll see how it all turns out. Right now it’s all very fresh… we’ll see how it’s going to develop,» he adds.
The critical associations agree on several points: they consider that the app will impose a disproportionate burden on many recreationalists who go out very few days a year; they warn of the digital divide that may leave out older people or those without smartphones; and they question that a single system is proposed for very different realities, from occasional coastal fishermen to boats that go out more frequently.
A unified Balearic voice
In addition to state coordination, the Pitiusas islands are promoting the creation of a unified Balearic association that brings together recreational fishing in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The aim is to articulate a common voice before the regional and state administration and to present coordinated proposals on fisheries management, sustainability and control.
At the same time, the group is still waiting for the Government to clarify how PescaREC will fit in with the existing tools in the Balearic Islands. The associations maintain contacts and analyze regulatory documents, in the expectation that in the coming weeks it will be clearly defined how the new digital obligation should be applied.
La entrada From Ibiza to Galicia: fishermen’s associations unite against mandatory app to declare catches se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Will there be fish for Christmas? Government adds 13 fishing days to guarantee supply se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The measure, communicated by Minister Luis Planas, will benefit 557 vessels fishing in Mediterranean waters, thus equaling the final fishing days already reached in 2024.
Planas guarantees supply: «There will be no lack of fish or seafood at Christmas».
Planas stressed the economic importance of the last months of the year for the fleet and assured that supply is guaranteed:
«We rule out any possibility of shortages during this Christmas season,» he stressed.
The Minister explained that the decision was taken after numerous conversations with the European Commission, which have allowed to ensure the continuity of fishing activity and to provide «certainty and planning» to shipowners and crews.
A decision supported by scientific reports
The Agriculture Minister pointed out that the latest scientific reports reflect a good evolution of the fish stocks, which would fully justify the extension of the fishing effort this year.
Planas recalled that the EC had reduced the fishing effort for 2025 to only 27 days, a decision that Spain managed to reverse through new management measures such as:
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changes in mesh size,
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specific closures,
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adjustments in fishing gear.
As a result, an average of 130 fishing days per vessel were recovered, to which the 13 extraordinary days have now been added.
International tuna negotiations
The minister also referred to the ICCAT meeting, which is taking place these days in Seville, where more than 60 countries are negotiating the management of Atlantic and Mediterranean tuna fisheries. Planas was optimistic about obtaining a 19.3% increase in quotas.
«We hope that a consensus on the chair’s proposal will be possible,» he said.
Planas criticizes PP for proposing VAT reduction
On the other hand, the minister described as «comical» the video published by the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, in which he announces that his party will propose in Congress a lowering of VAT on foods such as eggs, meat or fish.
«It is absolute opportunism that a party that increased VAT on food now says it will lower it,» Planas pointed out.
The minister recalled that the government follows «very closely» the evolution of prices and expressed his understanding for the concern of consumers.
Continue reading
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Christmas in the Balearic Islands: where will the Civil Guard controls be located?
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Where and at what time to see the switching on of the Christmas lights 2025 in Palma? This is what the City Council has already confirmed
La entrada Will there be fish for Christmas? Government adds 13 fishing days to guarantee supply se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada This will be the app that will force recreational fishermen in Ibiza and Formentera to declare all their catches. se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>In a territory like the Balearic Islands, which Brussels has already turned into a laboratory for this activity – with more than 52,000 recreational licenses and 16.3% of all recreational boats in Spain – the change will be especially noticeable in Ibiza and Formentera, where the pressure on highly prized species such as raor, llampuga, squid, octopus, déntol or verderol is already a cause for concern.
From RECRIEO to PescaREC: science and control go hand in hand
As advanced by La Voz de Ibiza, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography(IEO-CSIC) has launched the RECRIEO project, a national study that for the first time will measure in detail what is fished, how much and by whom in recreational marine fishing. It is estimated that between 900,000 and 1.2 million people practice this activity in Spain.
In the Balearic Islands, RECRIEO plans to carry out 120 surveys per year out of a total of 2,229 interviews spread throughout the country. Researchers such as Miguel Cabanellas and Sandra Mayol will visit beaches, ports and fishing areas of the Islands to ask directly to the amateurs what they catch, with what gear and how much time they spend at sea.
«The objective is to create a national data plan to model the impact of recreational fishing,» Cabanellas explained to this newspaper. His colleague, IEO researcher in Cádiz Paz Jiménez, stresses that «having reliable and continuous data is essential to guarantee the sustainability of marine resources».
In parallel to this field work, the European Union has approved the regulation that requires States to have an electronic system to record recreational catches of certain species from January 10, 2026. Spain has chosen to do so through an app: PescaREC.
What will change for recreational fishermen in the Pitiusas?
According to the design of the new state regulation, PescaREC will be the mandatory way for recreational fishermen to declare their catches in external waters when it comes to:
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Species subject to conservation measures (quotas or catch limits).
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Species included in multi-year plans or subject to landing obligation when recreational fishing has a significant impact.
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Species for which a specific authorization is already required for recreational fishing: bluefin tuna, other tunas, swordfish, billfish, sea bream, hake, among others.
For Ibiza and Formentera fans, that will translate into several obligations:
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Register in the app with your recreational fishing license.
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Report daily catches of these species, indicating how many specimens are retained and how many are returned to the sea.
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Report also the days without fishing, i.e., when you go out and do not catch anything.
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Assume that, in the future, the list of species could be expanded depending on risk, resource status and fishing pressure.
In inland waters, which depend on the Balearic Government, the communities can decide whether to adopt PescaREC for the rest of the species and thus avoid a «jungle» of different applications. In the Pitiusas, this would open the door to extend the electronic registry to emblematic species for the local hobby, such as raor, llampuga or squid, and even to especially sensitive areas such as the Marine Reserve des Freus.
Balearic Islands, epicenter: many licenses and species under pressure
RECRIEO itself places the Balearic Islands at the center of the map. The archipelago concentrates 52,512 recreational fishing licenses in force (39,208 individuals, 11,191 boats, 1,592 spearfishing and 521 sport fishing) and a very high percentage of recreational boats in the country as a whole.
In interviews, scientists have already detected great pressure on species of high commercial and social value:
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The raor and llampuga, highly appreciated by both recreational and professional fishermen and with high prices in the fish market.
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Squid, octopus, dentex and verderol, located at the top of the food chain and considered particularly sensitive to overfishing.
A previous work by Cabanellas in the Bay of Palma calculated that, between 2009 and 2014, recreational fishermen caught 34% of the squid landed by the entire Balearic commercial fleet. A data that illustrates why leisure fishing of species such as squid, so popular also in the waters of Ibiza and Formentera, cannot be considered marginal.
In the Pitiusas, the Govern has already tightened minimum sizes and has opened proceedings for illegal sale of recreational catches, a practice prohibited but denounced for years by the professional sector. At the same time, entities such as the Pereyna Recreational Fishing Association have collected thousands of signatures to continue fishing in marine reserves such as Freus, where the administration tries to reconcile the pressure on species such as raor, llampuga, squid or verderol with the conservation of ecosystems.
Control and knowledge: two sides of the same coin
PescaREC’s landing in Ibiza and Formentera will come barely a year after the IEO began asking recreational fishermen on the beach how much they fish and why they do it. The result will be an unprecedented combination of tools:
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RECRIEO will offer a detailed x-ray of the fishing effort, the social profile of the enthusiasts and the economic impact of the activity, with special attention to key species such as raor, llampuga, squid, octopus, déntol or verderol.
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PescaREC will provide a continuous flow of catch data for certain sensitive species, with the potential to detect rapid changes and fine-tune management measures in highly pressured waters such as those of the Pitiusas.
Experts admit that it will be difficult to get all recreational fishermen to always declare precisely what they catch. But they also recall that, without reliable information, it is impossible to know how much of the pressure on such iconic species for Ibiza and Formentera comes from the «hobby» and how much from the professional sector.
«It is important to make the sector understand that this is for their benefit,» Cabanellas summarized when talking about RECRIEO. The app that will arrive in a month and a half to the cell phones of recreational fishermen of the Pitiusas will be, to a large extent, the litmus test of that message.
La entrada This will be the app that will force recreational fishermen in Ibiza and Formentera to declare all their catches. se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Europe demands control of recreational fishing and the Balearic Islands becomes a key laboratory se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>To anticipate this change, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) has launched the RECRIEO project, which will analyze for the first time throughout the country the magnitude and characteristics of this practice, currently booming. It is estimated that between 900,000 and 1.2 million people practice it in Spain, according to Menorca newspaper.
Balearic Islands, the epicenter of recreational activity
The Balearic Islands stand out as one of the territories with the highest fishing and recreational boating activity in the country. 16.3% of the recreational boats registered in Spain in 2025 correspond to the archipelago.
In addition, according to data from the Conselleria d’Agricultura i Pesca, there are 52,512 recreational fishing licenses in force:
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39,208 individuals
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11,191 of vessels
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1,592 spearfishing
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521 sport fishing
IEO researchers Miguel Cabanellas and Sandra Mayol will be in charge of collecting data in the islands and monitoring the practice.
A scientific challenge: beachside surveys
The project plans to carry out 2,229 annual surveys throughout the country, 120 of them in the Balearic Islands. About ten interviews per month on beaches, ports and fishing areas will show what is caught, how much and by whom.
«The goal is to create a national data plan to model the impact of recreational fishing,» explains Cabanellas. But he admits the difficulty: «In the short term it is a utopia to get all fishermen to declare their catches, especially those that do not always fall under the law».
The researcher stresses that the value of the project will be especially visible in the medium and long term, when there is a solid historical series that will make it possible to detect trends and estimate how much of the catch is left out of the record.
Most pressured species: yellowtail, llampuga, squid and greenfin tuna.
In the Balearic Islands, the pressure on species of high commercial and social value is evident. «The llampuga and the raor are two of the most coveted species by both recreational and professional fishermen,» says Cabanellas. Both fetch high prices in the fish market.
Squid, octopus, dentex and verderol also suffer considerable overexploitation. In addition, their ecological importance is high, as many of these species are at the top of the food chain.
In recent years, the Government has opened sanctioning proceedings for the illegal sale of recreational catches, a prohibited practice that the professional sector has been denouncing for some time.
A revealing antecedent: 34% of the squid in Palma Bay
The impact of recreational fishing was evidenced in a previous study conducted by Cabanellas in his thesis at Imedea. Between 2009 and 2014 he determined that, in the Bay of Palma alone, recreational fishermen caught 34% of the squid obtained by the entire commercial fleet of the Islands.
A European obligation to improve sustainability
The EU is seeking to improve the quality of fisheries data and include recreational catches in stock assessments, something that several northern European countries are already doing. The explosion of recreational boating during the pandemic accelerated concern about this activity.
«Having reliable and continuous data is essential to ensure the sustainability of marine resources,» says Paz Jiménez, researcher at the IEO in Cádiz and head of the RECRIEO project.
A comprehensive study with impact on future management
RECRIEO will also address:
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Fishing effort and activity zones
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Biological data of the species captured
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A socioeconomic analysis of the sector
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Technical recommendations to the General Secretariat of Fisheries
The project is coordinated by a multidisciplinary team of 20 scientists from eight IEO centers. At the end of September they held the first working meeting to design the surveys and the sampling strategy.
Will there be restrictions in the future?
Although confirming the impact of recreational fishing could lead to new limitations, experts recall that these measures often favor species recovery and ensure long-term sustainable activity.
«It is important to make the industry understand that this is in their best interest,» Cabanellas concludes.
La entrada Europe demands control of recreational fishing and the Balearic Islands becomes a key laboratory se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Formentera achieves consensus among fishermen to expand the Marine Reserve des Freus se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The expansion seeks to reinforce the protection of marine ecosystems, guarantee the sustainability of artisanal fishing and organize the recreational activities that take place along the island’s coastline. According to the proposal, the reserve will be expanded in two main zones.
On the one hand, on the south coast of Formentera, two new areas will be incorporated to the west and east of Far des Cap, which will connect the current boundaries of the reserve with the straight baseline of the coast. This ecological continuity will be reinforced with a future extension in outer waters -a state competence- currently being processed and aimed at improving the biological connection between the seabed of the island.
On the other hand, in the east of Formentera, the extension of the reserve in inland waters in front of the Es Caló area is planned, with the aim of protecting this enclave and linking it with the Reserve of Punta de sa Creu. The proposal also incorporates a transitional provision that will allow the future integration of the Baix Fondo-es Garroveret area, pending approval by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, thus ensuring a coherent deployment of the set of marine protected areas of Formentera.
«This expansion is not only an environmental bet, but also economic and social: it is to ensure the future of our sea and our seafarers,» said the island’s councilor of Primary Sector, Belén Palermo. After several meetings with professional and recreational fishermen, Palermo stressed the importance of the consensus reached, «a fact that shows that Formentera knows how to find a balance between conservation and activity».
The expansion of the Freus Marine Reserve will represent a significant advance in the management of the island’s marine environment. Among the expected benefits are an increase in biodiversity, the recovery of fish populations, improved water quality and greater protection for particularly sensitive habitats. In addition, a clear and stable regulatory framework will be established for artisanal fishing and recreational activities, reducing pressure on the most fragile ecosystems.
This initiative is aligned with international marine conservation commitments and with the European objective of protecting 30% of the marine environment by 2030. To achieve this, the Island Council stresses the need to maintain close coordination between administrations and sectors involved, thus consolidating the role of Formentera as a benchmark in sustainable management of the sea.
La entrada Formentera achieves consensus among fishermen to expand the Marine Reserve des Freus se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Fishermen from Ibiza and Formentera promote a pioneering plan to remove ghost nets from the sea se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>During the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, fishermen’s guilds, scientists and environmental organizations, the results of the last season were discussed and new measures were analyzed to move towards a «more sustainable fishing and adapted to the socio-economic reality of the Balearic Islands», as reported by the Conselleria.
Among the topics discussed was the proposal of the Balearic Government to set a minimum size of ‘cerviola’, as well as the initiative of the Consell de Formentera to modify the marine reserves of the island, in order to ensure a balance between conservation and fishing activity.
Training and technological control in fisheries
The session also served to present the fishing effort monitoring data obtained through electronic positioners or «green boxes», which allow to control the routes and tasks of artisanal vessels. Likewise, the Cofradía de Sant Antoni proposed modifying the setting period of the gear for lobster catching, while the Marilles Foundation announced the celebration of a course on good practices for releasing sharks and rays caught accidentally.
According to the Conselleria, «these co-management spaces, integrated by administrations, fishermen’s associations, scientists and environmental organizations, are essential to guarantee the environmental, economic and social sustainability of artisanal fishing in the Balearic Islands».
Results of the 2024-2025 campaign
Regarding the Plan for Fishing with Traditional Fishing Gear, the Directorate General of Fisheries presented the results of the 2024-2025 campaign, with more than 27 tons of fish caught and a total value of more than 290,000 euros. In addition, the Govern informed of the request for a new extension before the European Commission to maintain the derogation provided for in Regulation (EC) 1967/2006, which regulates traditional gears in the Mediterranean.
La entrada Fishermen from Ibiza and Formentera promote a pioneering plan to remove ghost nets from the sea se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Regulation of recreational fishing in Ibiza and Formentera: catches of groupers and other species are limited. se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The measure, promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment through the Directorate General of Fisheries, has been agreed with the island councils and the fishing sector within the Commission for Co-Management of Recreational Maritime Fisheries in the Balearic Islands.
The new regulation, published in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB), establishes restrictions for both individual fishermen and vessels, with the aim of regulating the activity and avoiding overexploitation of marine resources.
Limits on catches per person and per vessel
The resolution establishes two types of quotas: a daily individual quota and a daily vessel quota. In the case of the individual quota, the limitation affects submarine fishermen, land-based fishermen and recreational fishermen on boats. The quota per vessel will be applied regardless of the number of people on board.
For groupers (Epinephelus spp.), both in individual fishing and in boats, the limit will be one specimen per day. As for other species, the regulation establishes similar restrictions for sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), while in the case of dentex (Dentex dentex), it will be allowed to catch up to two specimens per person and three per boat.
The general director of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, has stressed that the decision has been taken with the support of the sector, which has demanded a greater role in the regulation of recreational fishing activity. «The main objective is to conserve the marine resources of the Balearic Islands through sustainable fishing and in which the sector is involved,» said Grau.
Possible future restrictions
The General Directorate of Fisheries does not rule out future modifications in quotas or the inclusion of new species under regulation, such as scorpionfish. The possibility of extending the restrictions will depend on the studies on the state of the marine populations and the consensus within the Commission for the Co-Management of Recreational Maritime Fishing.
In the Balearic Islands, recreational fishing has thousands of enthusiasts and represents an important economic and commercial movement. The regulation seeks a balance between the conservation of marine ecosystems and the continuity of this leisure activity. «Most recreational fishermen are committed to the preservation of marine resources and want to contribute to their sustainability,» Grau stressed.
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La entrada Regulation of recreational fishing in Ibiza and Formentera: catches of groupers and other species are limited. se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Regulation of recreational fishing in Ibiza and Formentera: catches of groupers and other species are limited. se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The measure, promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment through the Directorate General of Fisheries, has been agreed with the island councils and the fishing sector within the Commission for Co-Management of Recreational Maritime Fisheries in the Balearic Islands.
The new regulation, published in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB), establishes restrictions for both individual fishermen and vessels, with the aim of regulating the activity and avoiding overexploitation of marine resources.
Limits on catches per person and per vessel
The resolution establishes two types of quotas: a daily individual quota and a daily vessel quota. In the case of the individual quota, the limitation affects submarine fishermen, land-based fishermen and recreational fishermen on boats. The quota per vessel will be applied regardless of the number of people on board.
For groupers (Epinephelus spp.), both in individual fishing and in boats, the limit will be one specimen per day. As for other species, the regulation establishes similar restrictions for sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), while in the case of dentex (Dentex dentex), it will be allowed to catch up to two specimens per person and three per boat.
The general director of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, has stressed that the decision has been taken with the support of the sector, which has demanded a greater role in the regulation of recreational fishing activity. «The main objective is to conserve the marine resources of the Balearic Islands through sustainable fishing and in which the sector is involved,» said Grau.
Possible future restrictions
The General Directorate of Fisheries does not rule out future modifications in quotas or the inclusion of new species under regulation, such as scorpionfish. The possibility of extending the restrictions will depend on the studies on the state of the marine populations and the consensus within the Commission for the Co-Management of Recreational Maritime Fishing.
In the Balearic Islands, recreational fishing has thousands of enthusiasts and represents an important economic and commercial movement. The regulation seeks a balance between the conservation of marine ecosystems and the continuity of this leisure activity. «Most recreational fishermen are committed to the preservation of marine resources and want to contribute to their sustainability,» Grau stressed.
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La entrada Regulation of recreational fishing in Ibiza and Formentera: catches of groupers and other species are limited. se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada More opportunities for artisanal fishing in Ibiza and Formentera: what does the change imply? se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>More fishing days without compromising sustainability
According to the spokesman of the Govern, Antoni Costa, after the meeting of the Consell de Govern, the modification of the decree allows to take better advantage of the months of high demand in the local and tourist markets of the Pitiusas. Despite this extension, the annual limit of 210 days of activity per vessel will be maintained to ensure the sustainability of marine resources.
The change was agreed by the Commission for Fisheries Co-management, which brings together representatives of the Government, fishermen’s associations and experts in marine sustainability. This body concluded that the extension of the fishing period will not compromise marine ecosystems or the conservation of species.
Adjustments in traditional gear fishing in the Balearic Islands
In addition, the Government has also approved the modification of the decree that regulates the use of traditional fishing gear in Balearic waters, such as the ‘jonquillera’ to fish for red and yellowtail flounder, and the ‘artet per a gerretera’, used in the gerret fishery. This regulation, specific to the islands, takes into account both scientific studies and the socioeconomic aspects of the fishing sector. As Costa recalled, since 2013 the Balearics have had management plans approved by the European Commission, which include exemptions to the general restrictions imposed in the Mediterranean for these gears. In the new decree, measures related to the capture of bycatch species and agreements reached in the Co-Management Commission have been incorporated to improve the ordinary management of these practices.
Sustainability at the core
The renewal of these decrees is part of the Government’s commitment to the conservation of marine ecosystems and the balance between sustainability and profitability in the fishing sector. The European Commission renewed in February the exemption for the use of towed gear in the Balearic Islands, highlighting compliance with the sustainability requirements established in EU regulations. These measures reflect a joint effort to ensure that the islands’ fishing practices can be maintained over time, guaranteeing both the protection of the marine environment and the economic viability of fishermen.
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La entrada More opportunities for artisanal fishing in Ibiza and Formentera: what does the change imply? se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada New fishing measures: why Ibiza and Formentera depend on what the rest of Spain is doing se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>As resolved in Brussels after two days of intense negotiations, the number of annual slaughter days will be reduced by 79% (from 130 to 27), but a compensation mechanism will restore the current number of days. This compensation mechanism consists of 12 measures. As explained by the new European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costa Kadis, fishermen will be able to maintain their quota of days «if they commit to selectivity» (the ability of fishing methods to select the desired fish and sizes), to the closure of sea areas to fishing and to the use of «innovative» fishing tools. Iván Pérez, president of the Fishermen’s Guild of Formentera, told La Voz de Ibiza that several of these measures arise from proposals made by the fishermen themselves. And that in the case of the smaller Pitusas, «there are many things we already do, such as biological stoppages at certain depths.» «Of the 12 points of the compensation mechanism, we have already been doing 8», he specified. His Balearic counterpart, Domingo Bonnín, agreed that the whole autonomous community has also been implementing many of these measures.
The national quota
The reception of the new measures has not been the same for all areas, they do not make the same reading, because they are different places, with different funds. However, the adaptation must occur throughout the sector nationwide to establish the number of days. If all the boats are not adapted, some of us are going to be harmed,» explained Perez. This happens because the European Union establishes national fishing quotas for each member state, based on the so-called principle of relative stability (which considers economic and social factors of each population). «The Balearic Islands is much more advanced in the sense that the new measures propose,» warned Perez. On the other hand, he clarified that «there have been many complaints» from areas where there is a lack of adaptation, such as the coast of Alicante, Valencia and Catalonia. The method of establishing quotas by country has had decades of conflicting opinions: there are those who criticize that it is unfair in those nations with very dissimilar regions (as would be the case in Spain). While several leaders of the sector have shown caution while awaiting the regulation of the new measures, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has been more than satisfied with the agreement reached. «In practical terms, fishermen will be able to have the same working days as in 2024,» he said.
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La entrada New fishing measures: why Ibiza and Formentera depend on what the rest of Spain is doing se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada «Fish a bit more expensive»: how the new EU trawling measures affect Ibiza and Formentera se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>After two days of tough negotiations, the European Commission desisted from the measure to reduce by 79% the days of trawling in the Mediterranean, so that the days of fishing would have gone from an average of 130 to 27 in the year, something that, warned fishermen, would have led to the disappearance of the sector. What happens with the new measures? «If the fishing boats do nothing, they will be left with 27 days,» explained Pérez. But, on the other hand, if they adopt 12 measures of a compensation mechanism, they will be able to match the 130 days of 2024.
Perspective
«We will have some adaptation time to see if we adapt. If we manage to do so, we will be able to continue working as we did last year,» said Pérez. Along those lines, he has been optimistic. «There are many things we already do, such as biological stoppages at certain depths. Of the 12 points of the compensation mechanism, we have already been doing 8. So we are confident that in 2025 the number of days will not decline,» he said. Precisely, Perez had told La Voz de Ibiza that they had no margin to reduce the number of days, but that it could be negotiated on other issues related to areas and species selection. «The measures proposed in the compensation mechanism are related to what we have proposed. They have accepted, for example, a selectivity criterion, putting larger meshes,» he remarked. For example, shrimp fishing boats would have to replace the 40 mm meshes with 50 mm. On the other hand, those fishing more on land would have to go from 40 mm to 45 mm.
Small print
In any case, Perez has clarified that the agreement is only «a first document» and that «in the following days we will go into detail». «There are things that have been left in the air,» he admitted. In that line, he has echoed his peers in the Balearic Islands, who have tried to put cold cloths to the announcement of the European Union. For example, the president of the Federation of Cofradias de Baleares, Domingo Bonnín, has admitted that he feels «uncertainty» in the absence of information, and that it is an «unknown stage» that now faces the sector. For their part, representatives of the fishmongers of the Pere Garau market in Palma have described the agreement as «not so bad». In addition to the measures of the compensation mechanism, whose regulations have yet to be defined, the last Council has also approved the reduction of the total catch quota for red shrimp in the Mediterranean: it will go from 787 tons to 708 tons.
Fish «a little» more expensive
The measures of the compensation mechanism, although they allow maintaining the number of fishing days, reduce the catch volume of trawling. For this reason, Pérez admits that «even if all the established criteria are met, we may be harmed with a reduction of 15-20% of the catches we have, due to smaller species that we will not catch». In any case, he admitted that these costs «can be assumed». After all, he said, «It is a negotiation, everyone has had to give in». «There will be a drop in catches of certain species such as red mullet or morralla. And logically no one will agree with that. But to continue working we have to adapt,» said Perez. And he added: «Perhaps some of the cheapest fish are larger in size and are a little more expensive. This contrasts with the enormous increases that Perez himself predicted in the price of some species in the event that the days were drastically reduced. «The most important thing is that with the new proposals we will be able to continue working and that fish will not be scarce,» concluded the fisherman.
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La entrada «Fish a bit more expensive»: how the new EU trawling measures affect Ibiza and Formentera se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada European fisheries pact: what does it mean for Ibiza and Formentera fishermen? se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>An agreement that avoids the worst
The Senior Skipper of the Fishermen’s Guild of Formentera, Ivan Perez, acknowledged that the agreement is «a lesser evil» compared to the initial proposal of the European Commission, which would have limited fishing activity to only 27 days per year. «It’s not the massacre we expected, but it’s not an ideal solution either,» Pérez pointed out in a dialogue with Radio Ibiza. The pact establishes that the trawl fleet will be able to maintain fishing days similar to those of 2024, with an average of 130 days per year, as long as it complies with sustainability measures, such as the use of selective gear and the restriction of fishing areas.
New conditions for fishing
Among the requirements are the implementation of more selective meshing and certification of sustainable practices, elements that, according to Perez, complicate the daily operations of the fleets. «Now they don’t assign you days directly, you have to earn them with sustainability measures, which adds a considerable burden,» he explained. The guild also regrets that the expected backing from other countries such as France did not materialize, which left Spain in a weaker position to negotiate.
Impact on the local sector
For fishermen in the Pitiusas, the agreement is not without its challenges. Complying with the measures imposed will require technical adaptations and greater investment in certifications, something that worries the small local fleets. However, they also appreciate that fishing days have not been drastically reduced, which would have had a devastating impact on the sector’s economy.
The challenge of sustainability
The agreement seeks to balance environmental sustainability with the socioeconomic viability of Mediterranean fishing fleets. Although Ibiza and Formentera fishermen recognize the importance of protecting marine resources, they believe that current conditions leave much room for uncertainty.
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La entrada European fisheries pact: what does it mean for Ibiza and Formentera fishermen? se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada EU reverses measure and establishes 66% reduction in trawling in Mediterranean waters se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
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The 6 fish and shellfish «that would be worth a fortune» with the European Union’s trawling proposal
The agreement was reached after two days of meetings in Brussels, marked by Spain’s opposition to the cut in fishing days in the Mediterranean that had been put forward by the European Commission (EC) at the end of November. «The agreement reached today at the (EU) Agriculture and Fisheries Council will allow fish stocks to be maintained at sustainable levels and protect the marine environment, while also considering the viability of the sector,» the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union wrote on its profile on the X social network. In a statement, the Council specified that «as regards the western Mediterranean, ministers agreed to reduce fishing effort for trawlers by 66% in Spanish and French waters and by 38% in French and Italian waters to protect demersal stocks, while also taking into account the socio-economic impact on the fleets.» With this, an agreement has been reached between the member states and the Commission that would allow the trawl fleet to maintain the same fishing days as those established in 2024, an average of 130 days per year. The European Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis, said at a press conference after the meeting that «to encourage sustainable practices that protect juveniles and increase selectivity» in the Mediterranean a compensation mechanism was agreed «that will also alleviate the socio-economic impact» of the reduction in fishing days. In that sense, he explained that fishermen can benefit from a «substantial» increase in the number of days they go out to sea to fish «if they commit to selectivity» (the ability of fishing methods to select the desired fish and sizes), to the closure to fishing of sea areas and to the use of «innovative» fishing tools. As an example, he said that if a vessel uses 15-millimeter mesh under certain conditions it can receive 50% more fishing days. He indicated that the compensation mechanism includes a total of twelve such measures. He added that these twelve measures can be accumulated and that if a vessel uses all of them it can fish «the same days or almost the same days it fished this year». He explained that there will also be funding from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund «so that fishermen can apply for these measures». He said that the Mediterranean agreement«addresses fishing mortality, which is still too high, preserves fishermen’s livelihoods in the long term and improves opportunities for the recovery of stocks». He acknowledged that these were «long and complex» negotiations and assured that he did «everything» in his power «to resort to the maximum flexibility that the legal framework allows us to ensure the best possible balance between social, economic and environmental considerations.» He added that the message he wants to send is that fishing will continue «on practically the same days, almost the same fishing possibilities but in a more sustainable way». Among the main elements relating to the Atlantic and North Sea, Kadis said that 16 total allowable catches (the maximum quantities of a fish stock that the EU can fish) have been agreed at sustainable levels and that the agreement will allow «increasing our record of sustainability, also maintaining the objective of our common fisheries policy.»
«No one will go away saying they have achieved everything or lost everything. It is a lowest common denominator acceptable to all,» said Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy.
The European Commission’s initial proposal for the Mediterranean would have meant a 79% reduction in fishing days for the Spanish trawl fleet in these waters, so that these vessels would only be able to go to sea 27 days a year.
On his arrival at the meeting of the ministers on Monday, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas, said that the Brussels proposal was «clearly unacceptable».
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La entrada EU reverses measure and establishes 66% reduction in trawling in Mediterranean waters se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada The 6 fish and shellfish «that would be worth a fortune» with the European Union’s trawling proposal se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>Perez is in Brussels, where the European Commission’s proposal to reduce by 79% the days allowed for trawling in the Mediterranean Sea territory is being debated. A measure that, warn fishermen from all over Spain (as well as Italy and France) would lead to the disappearance of the sector. And that, in addition, would prevent local supply. «We cannot become dependent on what is fished outside the country. If we manage our fisheries, we can have products for life. We do not have to become dependent on products that come from outside Spain,» says the leader of Formentera, who is, along with other peers, in the Belgian city, participating in negotiations.
Fish and seafood that would increase in price
«Today we compete with the ray that is brought from Argentina and Morocco. If at some point we could not catch skate, they would have a monopoly and prices would go up by how much? I can’t know, these are assumptions,» says Pérez. In addition to the ray, one of the emblematic fish that would lose the huge local quota, Perez points out that there are other seafood products that today come from Balearic coasts but should be brought from abroad if the measure proposed by the European Commission is implemented. Specifically, the products that would become more expensive if the fishing days of local fishermen are restricted would be:
- Stripe
- Shrimp
- Figala
- Moralla
- Squid
- Octopus
«In the end, what I want is to eat fish from our area, and there is plenty of it. In fact, there are plenty of them,» Pérez emphasizes. In the same vein, recently Joan Simonet Pons, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment of the Balearic Islands, has pointed out in a letter to Costa Kadis, the new Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans of the European Union, that the reduction of trawling days would mean that there is no «fish on the plate». In addition, the Balearic leader has pointed out in his letter that the measure proposed by the European Commission would harm not only the fishing industry, but would go against the local culture. As Perez has told La Voz de Ibiza, the fishing boats no longer have room to reduce more days of activity per year (currently they are allowed 130 days a year, but the measure under analysis would reduce this number to 27). «They want to make us disappear,» denounced the leader of the Fishermen’s Guild of Formentera.
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La entrada The 6 fish and shellfish «that would be worth a fortune» with the European Union’s trawling proposal se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Fishermen’s proposal to the European Union not to reduce trawl fishing days se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>This Tuesday is the second consecutive day of meetings between representatives of governments, the fishing industry and the European Union. In the afternoon the first proposals resulting from these meetings are expected from the Commission. «The first ones will be rejected,» Perez told La Voz de Ibiza. Only for the morning or noon this Wednesday there will be clarifications. «It will be a night of intense negotiations,» said the leader of the Formentera fishermen. However, Perez himself has pointed out that from his sector they will not accept a further reduction in fishing days, which have decreased by 60% since 2019. «Who is going to go out to work only 100 days a year? You have to work all year round.» So where does the negotiation go? According to Pérez himself, the fishermen are «on the red line» in terms of the number of days they have enabled for their activity. However, he admits that there is margin in «issues such as closed seasons, increase of protected areas or gear selectivity -the capacity of a fishing method to capture specifically the desired species and sizes, minimizing undesired catches-«. In this sense, Perez admits that although «there are already many areas of Formentera and Balaeares protected, they could be increased, there is room in that sense». But he warns: «What is clear is that I will not allow a disproportionate increase in protected areas here and not elsewhere, because we are already one of the communities with more protected areas». In the case of moving forward with such a measure, «the governments of France, Italy and Spain will have to put their foot down,» says Pérez. And he sums up: «It will be difficult, but I am optimistic.
«Hidden issues» in proposal to reduce trawl fishing
During Monday, Perez and other fisheries leaders from around the Mediterranean raised their concerns with Costas Kadis, the Cypriot who was recently appointed as the new EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. Although Perez himself admits that Kadis has little room to support them. «The new commissioner cannot push a position of his own. He has come up against measures put forward by the European Commission and because of legal issues he cannot change the approach. It is as if his hands were tied.» -About the European Commission, they argue that the reduction of days is necessary to maintain sustainability…
-But we don’t know what the maximum sustainable yield is. They don’t say.
-Why?
-Because they are not really interested. There are hidden political issues and other countries involved.
-What makes you assume that?
-We talk to local researchers who provide data to the European Commission. They tell us that things are going very well. But they ignore them or don’t want to see them. Although they rely on complex models to analyze these things, the fact is that in the Balearics we have already had maximum sustainable yield for two years.
-From the Commission, do they claim positive results achieved through cutbacks?
-They are proposing more measures without knowing whether the reductions of recent years have worked. They have not taken into account the socio-economic impact or the ecological footprint. They just want to make us disappear. Perez, however, believes that the proposal of such a «drastic measure has been a good thing. If they had come with a proposal to reduce by 10-15% it would have been accepted. But such a big cut has opened the eyes of governments, the EU and NGOs. Although they do not rule out legal action and a blockade by all fishing vessels (in Ibiza and Formentera there is a strike until Tuesday, in principle), Perez urges calm. «Now the only thing left are the negotiations. We have to go step by step».
What is trawling and what are its consequences?
Bottom trawling is a technique that causes controversy around the world. It involves the use of heavy nets to scrape the ocean floor to catch fish. While it is a mainstay to sustain the volumes of the fishing industry, environmental groups point out that it has a detrimental effect on marine life, as it involves the accidental killing of numerous marine species, such as turtles, birds and mammals, which endangers ecosystems. Limiting trawling, the European Commission’s proposal, is part of the European Union’s policies to control the activity in order to ensure the sustainability of the activity. According to the EU website, «fishery resources are not unlimited» and «overfishing can affect the reproductive capacity of stocks». Therefore, «without some control» it is believed that «some fish stocks could be depleted, or their capture could cease to be economically viable».
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La entrada Fishermen’s proposal to the European Union not to reduce trawl fishing days se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Pitusa fishermen warn that EU restrictions would be «the death» of the sector and do not rule out extending the strike se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>In this context, the fishermen of the Pitusas area do not rule out that the strike that began on Monday, and which in principle will continue until Tuesday, will continue if their demands are not met. «The Commission has not wanted to listen to our scientists and has imposed its criteria: to make disappear what it does not like. It has become clear that they want to end the trawling sector, but it is an essential sector to have fresh fish and for tourism,» added Perez in statements given to Radio Ibiza. The leader is in Brussels, where he is holding meetings with the aim of pressuring European leaders to reject the measure. «The Commission justifies itself with scientific reports that have been invented. If you remove the trawlers, what is not fished here will be brought from outside, but at stratospheric prices,» he said, referring to species that abound in the area, such as octopus, squid, ray and morralla. And he has not ruled out legal action if the measure goes ahead, in addition to extending the strike.
Measures «on the fly».
In a similar line has expressed the president of the Fishermen’s Guild of Ibiza, Antoni Tur. «We were already at the red line, at the acceptable limit. This ends up killing you, the fishermen are not even going to consider it with this quota of 27 days. It is not at all viable,» he said. And he warned that the measure: «It would mean closing many fishermen’s associations and fishmongers (because many can not work only with fish from outside) and much industry surrounding the fishing fleet». Tur has also pointed out that «there is no study that supports such a measure» and that «these are measures that fall from the sky, from people who have not come to see how they work here». On the possibility that the strike will continue beyond Tuesday, the leader has left the door open: «We go a little on the fly».
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La entrada Pitusa fishermen warn that EU restrictions would be «the death» of the sector and do not rule out extending the strike se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Prohens supports the fishermen’s claim against the European Union se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>The president said that the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, has already sent a letter to Commissioner Costas Kadis and this Monday the opposition will be raised in Brussels. «In the western Mediterranean, without trawling there is no fishing sector and no fish on the plate,» said Simonet.
A day of strikes and protests
While in Brussels the European Union analyzes the possibility of reducing by 79% the fishing days of the trawling fleet in the Mediterranean area (which implies a reduction from 130 days per year to 27), fishermen from different areas of Spain are on strike and have added claims in the last hours. «We have a lot at stake. People ask me if the Christmas season is in danger: Gentlemen, this year’s Christmas season is in danger, next year’s and the next years, unless we want to eat shrimp from Argentina or squid from Morocco,» said Pedro Mercant, president of the Organization of Fish and Seafood Producers of Mallorca, OPMallorcamar. This is one of the entities that have met in Palma de Mallorca, where delegations of the Pitusas have also approached. In addition, the Minister of the Presidency, Antònia Estarellas, who has stressed that «the Government will fight with all the strength it can because it would be the death for this sector that already drags different stabs these years». At the same time, demonstrations are taking place in the Fishermen’s Guilds of Ibiza and Formentera. Meanwhile, in Madrid, fishermen from all over the Mediterranean coast are concentrating in front of the Spanish headquarters of the European Commission (EC). In addition to the Balearic Islands, they have arrived in the country’s capital from ports in Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia.
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La entrada Prohens supports the fishermen’s claim against the European Union se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>La entrada Strike in Ibiza and Formentera: fishermen fight against «massacre» of the sector se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
]]>In parallel, delegations from the Pitiusas Islands will participate in the demonstration organized in Palma, as well as in the protests planned in Madrid and Brussels, where the report proposing regulatory changes in the sector will be discussed.
Reactions from the Pitiusan fishing sector
The president of the Fishermen’s Guild of Ibiza, Antoni Tur, in dialogue with Radio Ibiza, has pointed out that the proposed regulations do not take into account the local reality or the impact they generate on the economy of the islands. «Europe imposes regulations without knowing the reality of fishing in Ibiza and without taking into account all the industries behind the fishing sector,» he said. For his part, the president of the Fishermen’s Guild of Formentera, Ivan Perez, has described the EU proposal as a real «massacre» for the sector, already hit by multiple restrictions. Perez warned that if local boats cannot operate, «foreigners will come to meet that demand», which will further aggravate the situation of fishermen in the Pitiusas.
A reduced and endangered fleet
Currently, trawling in the Pitiusas is limited to four boats, two in Ibiza and two in Formentera, whose activity is crucial for the local economy and the supply of seafood. The fishermen insist that the restrictions not only affect their survival, but also related industries, such as hotels and commerce.
The future of the industry at stake
The report being discussed this week at the European Council of Ministers proposes to drastically reduce fishing days in the Mediterranean, a measure that fishermen consider unsustainable. From the Pitiusas, the fishing sector hopes that the mobilizations contribute to stop a regulation that threatens to dismantle an activity that is part of the economic and cultural heritage of the islands.
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La entrada Strike in Ibiza and Formentera: fishermen fight against «massacre» of the sector se publicó primero en La Voz De Ibiza.
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