Balearic fleet presses Brussels to stop new EU cuts

The Balearic Islands’ trawler fleet now records more than 50% less fishing effort than it did 10 years ago. On 3 September, Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment Minister Joan Simonet and fisheries director Antoni M. Grau will take the islands’ case to Brussels. They want the European Commission to change Mediterranean fishing rules and avoid further automatic cuts while a key plan is reviewed.

Simonet will meet European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis alongside fisheries representatives from Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Murcia and Andalusia. The five regions sent their joint proposals to Brussels in May and now want to know whether the Commission will turn them into changes in EU law.

What the Balearic Islands want changed

The regions are calling for an omnibus fisheries regulation: a package designed to amend the Common Fisheries Policy and several EU rules. They say environmental gains must be maintained, while the economic and social sides of sustainability receive equal weight.

Their proposals include a distinct legal status for the Mediterranean coastal fleet, more regional control of fishing grounds and simpler monitoring duties. They also want a fresh look at how fishing effort is calculated and at the multiannual Western Mediterranean plan, which sets fishing days for trawlers.

The group says EU decisions should weigh economic and social indicators alongside biological ones. It also wants a review of rules tying an entire fishery to its most vulnerable species, as well as the double limit imposed on red shrimp through both fishing days and catch volumes.

Fewer boats, fewer landings

The Balearic Government will stress the islands’ particular circumstances and argue for co-management of fishing grounds involving public authorities, fishers, scientists and other parties. It says each Mediterranean fishing area needs rules that reflect its environmental and socio-economic conditions.

According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment Ministry, reduced fishing days and the loss of vessels have cut the Balearic fleet’s effort by more than 50% over 10 years. Landed catches stand nearly 40% below the average of the past 30 years.

The government also points to continuing losses of boats and jobs, ageing vessels and difficulties finding a new generation of fishers. The Brussels meeting matters as fishing opportunities for 2027 are prepared: the regions want more selective fishing measures and solutions tailored to each fishery, rather than more automatic reductions in fishing days.

Topics: Agriculture · Environment · Politics · Economy · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com