Mallorca fishing crews fight Menorca Channel ban plan

Mallorca’s fishing crews could lose access to more of their fishing grounds: Spain is considering wider restrictions in the Menorca Channel that could affect boats from Alcúdia, Pollença and Cala Rajada on Mallorca. On Thursday, 22 October, fishing representatives from northern Mallorca and Menorca met Balearic agriculture and fisheries minister Joan Simonet in Ciutadella, Menorca, to oppose the plan. The proposed changes concern trawling and lobster fishing.

Why the wider bans are disputed

Trawling has been banned since 2016 in two parts of the channel covering about 1,300 square kilometres. The closures protect coral-rich seabeds and beds of rhodoliths, which are formed by calcareous algae.

Simonet says those rules already protect the habitats they were designed to cover. The Balearic fisheries department says the scientific evidence it has reviewed does not justify closing more areas. Monitoring by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography has documented a recovery in vulnerable habitats since the trawling bans began.

What happens next

Balearic officials and fishing representatives agreed in Ciutadella to oppose the proposed restrictions together when dealing with the Spanish government. They warn that fewer available fishing grounds could hurt fleets in Ciutadella as well as the three Mallorca ports.

The Balearic fisheries director says any review needs up-to-date maps and an assessment of the effect on fishing. Officials also want the fishermen affected to have a say in any changes.

Topics: Environment · Politics · Alcúdia · Pollença · Capdepera

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com