The measure, which has the support and agreement of the sector, affects sea bass, sea bream, dentex and all grouper species.
The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, through the Directorate General for Fisheries, has established, for the first time for recreational fishing, maximum catch quotas per licence and day for sea bass, sea bream, dentex and all grouper species. The measure, which was consulted with the island councils and has the support of the sector, was agreed in the Commission for the Co-management of Recreational Maritime Fishing in the Balearic Islands. The Resolution of the Director General of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, which has already been published in the Official Bulletin of the Balearic Islands (BOIB), establishes an individual daily quota and a daily quota per boat. ‘The main objective is to conserve the marine resources of the Balearic Islands, through sustainable fishing in which the sector is involved. The measure has been fully agreed with this group, who wanted to be able to take part in this type of decision-making that directly affects them,’ said Grau.
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The Government sets the maximum daily quotas for recreational fishing of some species of fish to conserve the marine resources of the Balearic Islands
The individual daily quota is per person and therefore refers to spear fishermen, rock fishermen and recreational boat fishermen. In contrast, the daily quota per boat takes into account catches per boat, regardless of the number of people in the boat. For example, in the case of Dentex, a boat with seven people on board could catch three specimens.
The director general of Fisheries points out that, in the future, he does not rule out establishing new quotas or modifying existing quotas for other species, such as scorpionfish, ‘provided that there is majority support in the Commission for the Co-management of Recreational Maritime Fishing in the Balearic Islands’.
It should be remembered that recreational sea fishing is a leisure activity with tens of thousands of enthusiasts in the Balearic Islands. It is a practice that not only brings people into direct contact with nature but also generates an important economic and commercial movement that cannot be underestimated. ‘Most people who practice recreational fishing are concerned about the conservation and health of marine resources, which is why they want to contribute to the preservation of marine ecosystems,’ said Grau.
The Commission for the Co-management of Recreational Marine Fisheries in the Balearic Islands is a public participation body made up of representatives of all the relevant actors and administrations concerned. It aims to improve the governance of recreational sea fishing and promote the participation of this group in the conservation of marine resources and in the management of recreational fishing to ensure sustainability. It should be remembered that the Government created this body in 2024 to meet a demand from the sector for more information and the possibility of participating in decision-making mechanisms.