Balearic fishermen dispute over territory

The Local Council of Menorca is liaising with the Balearic government about fishing territories between the two islands.

A decision needs to be made on whether to allow Mallorcan fishing boats to fish for lobsters in the waters surrounding the smaller island.

The Government´s General Director of Fisheries, Antonia María Grau, states that fishermen from Mallorca will likely have to fill in a document requesting permission to access the Menorcan maritime territory [Europa Press, 01/09/2024]. She explained that there are some important points to consider. Firstly, state regulation prohibits Mediterranean ships from being out of port for more than 16 hours. Secondly, the Decree on Minor Gear states that vessels are not permitted to travel a distance further than 24 miles from their base port. If the fisherman intends to move to a different base, they are obliged to request a permit from the General Directorate for Fisheries, with the exception that boats wishing to moor at a different base within the same region are permitted to do so for up to 48 hours. Current legislation does not specify whether this includes a change of island.

The lobster fishing season runs from April 1 – August 31, and fishermen in Menorca feel that the Mallorcan boats are affecting their livelihood when they fish in the same waters, despite the fact that the sea is closely shared and the government has unconfirmed suspicions that the marine reserve in the north of Menorca exports quality fish, which is not permitted.