The Balearic Islands have opened a public consultation process for the draft regulation that will establish the Action Plan for the Conservation of Elasmobranchs, aimed at developing a participatory management model involving the fishing sector, the scientific community and environmental organisations.

The initiative is being promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, through the Directorate-General for Fisheries, with the goal of drafting an Order that provides a stable and consensus-based framework for the protection of sharks and rays. The consultation phase seeks to ensure that the future regulation is grounded in strong scientific evidence and broad social agreement.

The Action Plan addresses the global decline of cartilaginous fish populations, a trend observed since the 1950s and particularly severe in the western Mediterranean. According to the Red Book of Fish of the Balearic Islands, 60% of the 56 recorded species are currently threatened, with 17 considered critically endangered or regionally extinct, although the archipelago remains a biodiversity hotspot for these species.

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The Balearic Islands launch public consultation on the Action Plan for shark and ray conservation

The Directorate-General for Fisheries has stressed that the Plan aims to reverse this situation by establishing a robust and long-term policy framework. Its director-general, Antoni M. Grau, highlighted that the launch of this process reinforces the commitment to protecting marine natural heritage and to restoring species that are essential for healthy marine ecosystems.

The Action Plan is structured around five strategic pillars —information, monitoring, mitigation, conservation and enforcement— and includes measures to improve scientific knowledge, reduce human impacts and support population recovery. The regulation will also formally recognise the Sharks and Rays Expert Group, created in September 2024, as a permanent advisory body.

This approach strengthens co-management and participatory governance, aligning local action with European guidelines on sustainable fisheries and marine conservation.