They found that shipping generates 33.5% of marine waste and tourism, 32.2%.

PalmShipping is responsible for 33.5% of marine debris, while 32.2% comes from tourism, commerce, and hospitality, according to a new pilot study conducted in the Balearic Islands by the Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza Preservation Foundations. The study reveals a widespread and persistent presence of marine debris. The study is based on two sampling campaigns carried out during the spring and autumn of 2025 at 21 locations across the four islands. Seventy volunteer divers surveyed 136 underwater transects measuring 25 by 4 meters, collecting all types of debris. The main conclusion of the study, after analyzing a total area of ​​16,120 m² of the seabed, is that there is "a widespread presence of debris, predominantly plastic," explained Elisa Langley of Ibiza Preservation.

The data "are striking in an autonomous community that has a pioneering and very ambitious waste law in force," stressed Rebecca Morris, director of Menorca Preservation, at the press conference presenting the study. She indicated that, according to the data from the organization—which has been developing the campaign for five years— Plastic Free Menorca—, only 3% of the companies they have worked with complied with the law.

The director of Ibiza Preservation, Inma Saranova, added that "despite having pioneering regulations, among the most comprehensive in Spain and Europe, they are not being enforced, and there is no monitoring." She denounced the fact that no inspections are being carried out in the Pitiusas Islands.

Saranova emphasizes that "the companies that produce plastic bear the greatest responsibility." "We must start demanding that plastic production cease at the current levels," she asserted. "The problem is serious and can be seen in a very simple study conducted with two immersion cycles," she stressed. "I don't know what we are waiting for to demand that the authorities enforce regulations that already exist," she emphasized.