Marine Reserves, a commitment to sustainability and coexistence
The Pitiusas, with their marine wealth and unique biodiversity, face increasing challenges due to human pressure, overexploitation of resources, and the effects of climate change. In this context, the creation and expansion of marine reserves is essential to reconcile human activities with the conservation of marine biodiversity.
The Freus Marine Reserve of Ibiza and Formentera, covering 15,353 hectares, has significantly increased the diversity, density, and biomass of fish species vulnerable to fishing since its creation twenty-five years ago. The Punta de la Cruz Marine Reserve, covering 986 hectares and more recently created (in 2018), shows an incipient recovery of several fish species.
These positive results are the result of a management model that balances conservation with professional and recreational fishing.
The expansion of the Marine Reserve is a necessary measure to ensure the resilience of marine ecosystems and the sustainability of fishery resources. Expanding the protected area, including integrated reserve zones, will increase the regeneration capacity of fish populations, protect more key habitats, and improve ecological connectivity between areas. Furthermore, the reserve effect will benefit both the areas within the reserve and adjacent areas, increasing the richness, abundance, biomass, and size of fish species. Protected habitats, such as posidonia meadows and rocky bottoms, are essential for the breeding, shelter, and feeding of key species such as the amfuso, the dentulo, the seabream, and the octopus. The expansion would ensure the conservation of these ecosystems, which are currently at risk due to human pressure.
Recreational fishing and professional fishing are permitted in the Freus Marine Reserve of Ibiza and Formentera and Punta de la Cruz. These practices are regulated by clear rules that include catch limits, minimum sizes, seasonal closures, and restrictions on gear types and times. These measures ensure that both activities are compatible with resource recovery and respect for marine habitats.
Despite its popularity, spearfishing has a significant negative impact on marine ecosystems, especially in marine reserves. This practice affects at least 35 species of fish and cephalopods, many of them macropredators, long-lived, slow-growing, and with low reproductive potential. Among the main problems associated with spearfishing are the elimination of macropredators, the impact on vulnerable species, and the reduction of biomass.
The success of the Freus Marine Reserve, more than twenty-five years after its creation, lies in its inclusive and participatory approach, where administrations, professional fishermen, recreational fishermen, scientists, and NGOs collaborate to ensure the protection of marine biodiversity. This model allows for adapting regulations to local realities, resolving conflicts, and promoting a sense of co-responsibility that strengthens conservation. 13 On July 16, 2025, the members of the Monitoring Commission of the Freus Marine Reserve of Ibiza and Formentera and Punta de la Creu, the participatory body, met. At this meeting, in which the GEN-GOB participated, all members of the commission positively valued the expansion of the Marine Reserve.
The expansion of the Freus Marine Reserve in Ibiza and Formentera and Punta de la Creu is a historic opportunity to ensure the sustainability of fishing resources and the protection of marine ecosystems. Regulated and responsible artisanal and professional fishing can coexist perfectly with conservation objectives, while the prohibition of underwater fishing is essential to protect the most vulnerable species and ensure the functioning of habitats. The reserve's expansion must be accompanied by awareness and educational campaigns, as well as a surveillance system to ensure compliance with regulations and monitoring to assess the impact of the measures adopted.