Oceana requested the Balearic government to prohibit bottom trawling on the continental shelf or at less than 150 meters depth. Oceana has made some recommendations on the new Fishing Law of the Balearic Islands that is currently being reviewed. In its analysis, Oceana also disagrees with the reduction in fines for recreational fishing infractions and points out the importance of Balearic marine ecosystems.
Xavier Pastor, Executive Director of Oceana in Europe, said that it is god to know that the Balearic government ‘s desire to advance towards sustainable fishing and the protection of the marine environment. However, more steps should be taken and measures adopted to make the Balearic Islands an international reference in sustainable management.
Trawling should be banned in areas where more sustainable gear can be used, like the continental shelf. Bottom trawling is used in the waters of the Balearic Islands to target bottom-dwelling species like mullet, octopus, hake and prawns.
However, Oceana believes that the 50 percent reduction in fines for recreational fishing infractions is a negative aspect of the bill. The bill should include measures that constitute a significant advance in marine conservation, such as the creation of a Network of Marine Protected Areas in the islands. Along these lines, last April, Oceana presented a proposal to president Francesc Antich to protect between 10 and 20 percent of the archipelago’s waters.
