Mallorca and Balearics launch shallow-bay protection plan
Mallorca’s shallow bays and sheltered coastal waters are now at the centre of a new Balearic protection plan. On 10 September, the regional government opened public consultation on the draft, which aims to improve knowledge, conservation and restoration across all the islands. It could bring checks on moorings, rules on boat speeds and limits on new nautical infrastructure in sensitive areas.
The plan covers shallow marine areas: sheltered stretches of salt or brackish water including bays, semi-enclosed lagoons, harbour areas and seagrass barrier reefs. They support rare, specialised species and provide a vital nursery habitat for many others before they move into open sea.
Mapping the waters that need protection
The draft begins with a provisional inventory of shallow marine areas throughout the Balearics. Available information will be used to update it, recording existing protected status, important biological communities, the condition of each site, and the uses and pressures it faces.
Particular attention will go to meadows of Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera noltii. The government says these plants are essential to the ecological function and biodiversity of bays and shallow waters.
The scheme has six action lines. They include an advisory commission, improved mapping and regular monitoring of biological and non-biological environmental conditions. The first pilot areas will favour places already protected, well studied or backed by local conservation initiatives.
Moorings and boat speeds under scrutiny
The management proposals include regulating navigation speeds in shallow water and reviewing existing moorings. New nautical infrastructure could be restricted in sensitive zones, while damaged communities may be restored where that is technically possible.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment Minister Joan Simonet said the plan would bring scattered information together so decisions on where and how to act can be based on scientific criteria.
The government says protection should sit alongside long-standing nautical and fishing activities. Its advisory commission will bring together public authorities, ports, fishing and nautical sectors, scientists, conservation groups and specialists, with measures intended to reflect the Balearics’ social and economic reality and avoid unnecessary restrictions.
Topics: Nature & wildlife · Sea & coast · Agriculture · Politics · Pollença
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com