The Recreational Fisheries Co-management Commission will involve the sector in the management and decision-making to improve the governance of this activity.

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Recreational Fishing Co-Management Commission

The councillor Joan Simonet emphasizes that “this is a measure that is carried out to alleviate the situation of neglect and abandonment in which the recreational fishing sector has found itself during the last eight years”.

The Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Natural has presented the creation of the Commission of Co-Management of Recreational Fishing in the Balearic Islands this Tuesday. During the press conference, Minister Joan Simonet, accompanied by the Director General of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, explained that this public participation body, with informative and consultative functions and of which different representatives of the sector will be part, arises from the need to improve the governance of this activity. The main objective is to promote the participation of this sector in the management of recreational fishing in the Balearic Islands, to ensure its sustainability and the conservation of marine resources.

In the presentation ceremony, Simonet pointed out that “this is a measure that is carried out to alleviate the situation of neglect and abandonment in which the recreational fishing sector was during the last eight years”. In this sense, the counsellor stressed that “one of the main claims of this group is that they do not consider themselves sufficiently informed or participants in the decision-making mechanisms in matters that affect them. For this reason, we consider that it is essential to create this Commission”.

It should be remembered that recreational sea fishing is one of the most popular leisure activities in the Balearic Islands. In addition to the economic movement that it generates, it constitutes a fundamental link between the population and the sea, fishing products and Balearic tradition and gastronomy. Thus, Simonet pointed out, “we think that this group deserves preferential attention. This regulation is the appropriate instrument to guarantee the coordination between the Administration and the recreational fishing sector”.

For his part, Antoni M. Grau has expressed the need to link this group to the conservation and study of the marine environment. “Most recreational fishermen are concerned about the conservation and health of marine resources so that they can contribute both in the preservation of ecosystems and in the collection of data and monitoring of species,” said the director general of Fisheries. In this line, Grau assured that the improvement of fisheries management depends, to a great extent, on good data collection: “Data are essential to be able to make decisions when it comes to improving fisheries management and obtaining them is only possible by effectively involving the sector”, he said.

The presentation of the Recreational Fishing Co-management Commission was also attended by the heads of the two main recreational fishing organizations in the Balearic Islands: the president of the Majorcan Association of Responsible Recreational Fishing, Bernadí Alba, and Vicenç Monerris, president of the Balearic Fishermen’s Association. In addition, it should be noted that during the elaboration process, the representative entities of the affected sectors, the Fishing Council of the Balearic Islands and the General Secretariat of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have been consulted.